


Nights In Pink Velvet

by Kalash93



Category: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Genre: Alcohol, Anthro, Banter, Bi-Curiosity, Bisexuality, Bittersweet Ending, Breast Fucking, Breasts, Butt Slapping, Canon Compliant, Chaptered, Character Development, Character Study, Cock Worship, Consensual Infidelity, Contemplative, Creampie, Cumshot, Dirty Jokes, Dirty Talk, Drama, Drunk Sex, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Family Drama, First Kiss, First Time, First Time Blow Jobs, Flirting, Forgiveness, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gentle Kissing, Gentle Sex, Groping, Heavy Drinking, Heavy Petting, Humor, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, Incest, Infidelity, Internal Cumshot, Intoxication, Introspection, Kissing, Large Breasts, Lesbian Sex, Long Hair, Loss of Virginity, Magic, Magical Realism, Male Friendship, Male Protagonist, Male-Female Friendship, Marriage, Married Life, Mid-life Crisis, Mind-blowing sex, Minor Original Character(s), Mother-Son Relationship, Multi, NSFW, New Adult, Nipple Play, Older Man/Younger Woman, Older Woman, Older Woman/Younger Man, Open Marriage, Original Character(s), POV Female Character, POV Male Character, POV Multiple, Personal Growth, Plot Twists, Porn, Porn With Plot, Pre-Canon, Pre-Relationship, Pregnancy Scare, Promiscuity, Prostitution, Psychological Drama, Puns & Word Play, Relationship Issues, Rough Sex, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Worth Issues, Sex, Sex Work, Sexual Content, Sexual Inexperience, Sexual Tension, Shipping, Shower Sex, Small Breasts, Story Arc, Strong Female Characters, Therapy, Threesome - F/F/M, Unsafe Sex, Virginity, Vodka, Wine, blowjob, safe sex, small butt, split personality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:49:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 164,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22409731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalash93/pseuds/Kalash93
Summary: Shining Armor is a young guy fresh out of high school. He is joining the military soon. But before he does that, he wants to lie with a woman. With no marefriend and no idea how to even ask, he hires a mysterious older lady to be his first, not knowing the chain of events this will set in motion.Story heavy, porn in every chapter
Relationships: OC / Shining Armor, Princess Cadance & Shining Armor, Twilight Velvet & Shining Armor, Twilight Velvet / Night Light
Comments: 118
Kudos: 16





	1. First Time for Everything

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted by me to Fimfiction.net -- I am posting it here in a more polished state. I plan on releasing a chapter a week of it here. until I've transfered over every chapter.
> 
> As always, thanks to Sparkybrony as my editor and to Chapaevv for the cover art there. And thanks most of all to you, dear reader, for giving this paean of perversion a peek. If you'd be so kind as to comment, too, with any feedback you can, that would be wonderful.
> 
> Enjoy the tale,
> 
> -Kalash93

Shining Armor finished masturbating, feeling spikes of pleasure emanate from his cock as he jerked it while jizz spilled from the tip. He focused his eyes on the image on the computer, a busty mare milking a cock with her breasts. Shining could only imagine how great that must feel for real. He didn’t know how the stallion in the film didn’t pass out roaring in pleasure, cumming the moment those luscious breasts touched his shaft. And when the mare had added her touch and mouth to it, it looked like it must have been heaven for that stallion. Lucky guy.

Shining closed several incognito tabs on his computer and wiped himself off on his sheets. It hadn’t been a particularly good wank. He sighed discontentedly, still feeling the lust within himself. He remembered back when he was in his earlier teen days, when everything sexual was new and exciting, when he got rock hard erections on a whim, when every new orgasm was his best ever, and just the thought of a mare in a revealing outfit was enough to send his hormones racing. He’d been once almost giddy with excitement to get home from school so he could spend some quality alone time with his thoughts, or a clandestine picture. And then a magazine. And then he’d discovered what was available online… what a revolution in boyhood sexual evolution! Every kind of mare doing every kind of thing. So many, seemingly infinite. He’d quickly figured out what was and wasn’t for him. He’d spend hours stroking gently, just soaking in everything there was. Over time, he developed favorites, learning sites, tags, and stars, and that had been enough for them. His adolescence had passed and now he was just a week out of high school; he was eighteen, ready to take on the world, and hadn’t gotten past awkwardly kissing a few fillies a few times. He had signed up for the Royal Guard and was going off to training by the end of summer. So there he was, just waiting for his recruiter to get back to him with a full list of potential ship dates.

His hormones were demanding action. Nay, his pride, too. Was he really going to join the military as a boy who’d never even felt a boob? What if something happened to him before he ever got the chance? After all, tensions with Griffiya were looking up, and the possibility of being deployed was looking more and more likely by the day. All in all, he simply had to find a way to sate his curiosity and his lust and soon.

He thought back to the moment that had sent him on his was to this particular sojourn to pornland. He had just come back from his jog, stumbling in the door, all hot and sweaty, grateful for the cool of the air conditioning in the late July heat, when he crossed paths with his mother in the kitchen, wearing her standby barely clothes summer attire. The smell of lavender mixed with sweat... Nonono, that couldn’t be right; the day had been hot, meaning plenty of pretty ladies going about in their sexy summer clothes. Indeed, he remembered now, it had been a veritable carnival of feminine flesh very much like a jewelry store in that he could look but not touch, and all of the samples on display seemed hopelessly out of reach for a young stallion like him. He had to be sure to not get caught staring at bouncing bosoms, bobbing butts, lithe legs, and that most appealing sound of mares breathing heavily in the heat. Twice he had nearly run into traffic, and once almost careened headlong into a telephone pole. He couldn’t tell if he’d had an erection; if he had been sporting wood, his running shorts wouldn’t’ve done much of a job of hiding it.

He had even caught a glimpse of the glorious Cadance jogging through the park, and he’d made sure to overtake her only very slowly so he could feast his eyes on her royal fineness. Oh how he wished he could have a mare like that for his own. Of course he couldn’t; she was a princess and was, well, him, so not even in a million years. Besides, she’d been finishing up school just as he had been getting started, so she already had years on him, and being a princess, plenty of inches on him, too. She must have been courted by every single upper crust guy in Canterlot and many from all over Equestria, so as a woman on the world, what use would she have for a plebian boy like him when she had a true buffet of distinguished men at her feet? Sure, they’d talked a bit around Twiley’s foatsitting sessions, but that ironically made it worse, for now he was a friend, and not even all of Luna’s forces and Celestia’s might could rescue anyone from the friendzone.

He thought about Cadance. Oh how he liked her very much. And she seemed to like him, too. And how painful experiences with fillies at school had taught him that was the kiss of death! And there came that dissatisfaction in his loins again. The world looked like an orgy and here he was not getting his share! It wasn’t fair, damnit!

And then he’d finished his run home, stumbled through the front door, took his shoes off, glanced at his mother, and then sauntered upstairs for some relief. And now he was here, less sweaty, but just as in need of release. None of his friends were around; they were all at jobs, or traveling, or internships, or some thing or other for the next two weeks. So here he was, stuck all alone in his house with nothing to do but suffer through his horniness and boredom all alone.

Shining was about to go boot up a game when he realized there was one last tab open in his browser. It was an ad page with a picture of a busty, mature pegasus mare with outstretched wings and the text “Tired of clopping? Click here.”

Bored enough to comply, he did. The link took him to a page called Whorses.clop. The first thing he saw was one of those age verification pages which didn’t actually ever stop a single pony from gaining access. He clicked his way through, feeling a small sense of happiness that he was old enough to finally answer those things honestly. Next, Shining was faced with a map of Equestria with a bunch of dots labeled with city names. He clicked on Canterlot and immediately got a menu of things to choose from. Mares for stallions, stallions for stallions, mares for mares, gentlemen for mares, transsexuals, pseudoalicorns, interspecies! Not feeling like a pervert, Shining chose the first option and was immediately greeted by a gallery of differently seductively-posed mares of differing tribes, colors, and ages. His brain fizzled slightly when he saw just how many unicorns there were on the site. So much for unicorn mares having the sense to not appear in such disreputable places. Could he perhaps… was this for real... all these mares… and he… for sale? His dick stirred.

There was a drop-down menu containing various tags. Unicorn, Pegasus, Earth, Canterlot, Trottingham, Prench, Model, BDSM, Estrus, Mature, Bloodhorse, Chestnut, Clumper, Cob, Dam, Piebald, Solid. He clicked on dam, immediately being greeted with mature mares. His shaft continued to harden, and so he stroked himself as he browsed down the gallery. This was what he wanted; no more skinny, immature fillies at school who whined daddy on their phones while begging to be allowed to go to parties; here were proper mares with their graceful sexuality and undeniable muliebriety. Shining Armor scanned down until he found a particular ad.

He didn’t know why he clicked it, only that the mare in the photographs was a curvy silver mare, a unicorn, with a flowing pink and yellow mane which cascaded long down her shoulder, a strand lying teasingly between her large breasts. He read the profile.

> Hello, my name is Eventide Velour. I am a refined older mare looking for a good gentlecolt to keep me company. I know and appreciate the finer things in life; wine, food, song, and more. And just as much as I like to receive, I also like to give in return. If you are tired of selfish sluts, a tryst with me is just what you need. I am a truly elite companion with graces for every occasion from a royal reception to a sultry weekend alone. They say that the blood of Princess Platinum runs in my veins, and I would love to give you a true royal treatment. Let me be good to you. Let me pamper you and take care of you as only a lady can. If you have only heard the term courtesan, get in touch with me, let me show you the magic of a true mistress of the intimate arts and a pleasure only a select few ever get to experience, either at my incall or whatever upscale location you have in mind.
> 
> I’ll be waiting,
> 
> -Lovely Eventide Velour
> 
> Hours  
>  Friday-Sunday, 11AM-Midnight. Weekdays by special request.
> 
> Please be on time; ideally arrive 10-15 minutes prior to your appointment, dressed nicely, showered, and with your teeth brushed. Please book no fewer than 36 hours in advance. If you cancel within 24hrs of appointment, you will be charged 25% of your booking which you will have to pay before our next date; no exceptions! Outcalls receive a surcharge plus my transportation costs. For bookings longer than four hours, a non-refundable 15% deposit is required and must be booked at least 7 days in advance. I do travel with a daily surcharge and a least two weeks prior notice including an itinerary.
> 
>   
> 
> 
> Experiences
> 
> 1hr incall: 100  
>  1hr outcall: 200  
>  1.5hr incall: 150  
>  1.5hr outcall: 275  
>  2hrs incall: 200  
>  2hrs outcall: 350  
>  3hrs incall: 300  
>  3hrs outcall: 415  
>  4hrs incall: 400  
>  4hrs outcall: 500  
>  Each additional hour: 50  
>  All night: 1000  
>  All weekend: 1800  
>  Week: 5000
> 
> These donations are for my time and companionship only. They do not indicate consent to any act, sexual or otherwise. They are non-negotiable and to be paid with an envelope containing the full agreed amount at the start of our date. If payment is short, regardless of the scheduled length of our date, you shall only receive the amount of time you have paid for. I accept cash only.
> 
> To schedule a date, either email or text me. No temp emails, voice calls, or private numbers. These will be ignored. Do not ask for pictures. Do not discuss services or prices in communiques. Until an appointment is set, we discuss time only. Do not ask about sex acts. Serious suitors only.
> 
> I await your pleasure.

The ad ended with a phone number and an email address. Shining hesitated for a long while. Did he really want to do this? He wasn’t exactly rich, but he had some money from an allowance as well as working a few small jobs. He didn’t have any real expenses and there wasn’t anything he wanted to spend money on, other than firearms and military gear, which his mother absolutely prohibited, telling him that if he wanted them so much, he could join the Royal Guard for real instead of playing make-believe soldier at home like a colt.

What the hay, why not? It wasn’t like his immediate future was swimming with chances for him to get what he was after? And besides, his parents had given him a fat check as a graduation present; he could not work a day this summer, spend more lavishly than he usually did, and still come ahead from if he’d been thrifty and industrious. He browsed the rates, trying to do a bit of mental math to figure out the best deal. He knew outcall to his place was out of the question – he couldn’t even imagine trying to explain to his parents and sister when a hooker showed up at their door asking for him! So incall it was. He knew intuitively that the best per hour deal would come from a longer booking, but he couldn’t afford a truly long one, or get away with spending that much, not that he even had that kind of wealth. And there would doubtlessly be things he’d want to buy sooner rather than later, too. After a rough bit of number crunching, he’d reckoned a week was roughly 700 bits a day, or a hair under 30 an hour, a far cry from the flat 100 an hour for shorter sessions. A rumble in his stomach; time for lunch.

Shining Armor composed a text on his phone. “Salutations, Madam Velour. I was wondering if I could perhaps engage your services at incall this weekend? Please text me back at your first convenience.” And with that, sending the text away, his heart fluttered with the shameful rush of doing something that felt dirty and perhaps more than a little naughty. He decided that, while he waited for her reply, which he bet would not be for hours, he’d get something to eat. And so the naughty colt went downstairs.

Downstairs, Shining was greeted by his mother cooking dinner in the kitchen. The fragrances of mushrooms, pepper, beets, carrots, and tomatoes filled the air along with the babbling bubbling of a boiling pot. “Hi, Mom,” he greeted.

“Hey, Shiny, what’s going on?” She wasn’t wearing much, just a tank top and a pair of denim shorts. She was a pedestrian, middle class mare, unlike Madam Eventide Velour, though she had a clipped Canterlot accent.

“Just hungry, Mom,” he replied.

“Well, you’ll have to fix yourself something; I’m busy here.”

He winked at her. “C’mon, Mom, I’m your firstborn, you can’t starve me.”

“Well, what do you want me to do, Baby? Make you a sandwich?”

“Yes please,” smiled back Shining as a ding went off that could have been any number of things in the chaotic kitchen.

“Sorry, I can’t; I’m cooking and need all the space and ingredients we have. You’ll have to get something yourself or wait until dinner.”

“When’s dinner?”

“In an hour.”

“But I’m starving,” he whined melodramatically. “I’ll die if you don’t make me something, Mom.”

“Fine,” Twilight Velvet fake groaned, “One sandwich for my little prince.”

“Yay!” Shining cheered. His mom gathered bread and toppers from the fridge and then pulled out her phone and started texting in between some step of the cooking process or other. “By the way, Mom, is dad coming back on Thursday?” This was their game; it wasn’t unusual for Shining to play beg his mom for snacks, and she’d put on a token show of irritated resistance, grumbling all about how there wasn’t time, space, or food to do that, and then produce something opulent to be called a meal in some other households. To be honest, at some times, it was the only thing that kept the days the least bit interesting.

The older mare shrugged. “Sadly not; the company’s project is going overtime and they need him there now more than ever.” Her shoulders sagged.

“Isn’t that what they always say?”

“He swears they mean it this time.”

Shining quipped, “Don’t they always?”

“Can’t talk; cooking,” hummed Velvet. To her, having her son hanging around bugging her was a welcome nuisance, since with her husband away on one of his frequent long business trips, and Twilight being a hermit bookhorse, he was the only one who would keep her company and his unending shouts for her cooking reminded her that she was loved and needed by her family, even if she didn’t get to see too much of them oftener than she would have liked. She didn’t work, but she always seemed to have something to go to more or less every weekend. And as she did this, she texted away on her phone.

Shining was seated at the table when his phone went off. There was a new message, fresh back from Eventide Velour’s number! He read it silently. “My good gentlecolt, I am available this Saturday at 4, 7, 8:30 all the way to 11. Sunday has 1:30, 2, & 6:30.”

Shining texted back, “Cool.” A ding he ignored out of habit. The reply came a couple minutes later.

“Cool isn’t a time, Baby.”

Shining flushed. Only he could have been a dork in a text to someone whom he didn’t even need to impress. “Sorry. A bit nervous. :)” Ding.

“No need to be. May I recommend the ninety minutes so we may get to know each other?”

This mare was texting back quickly. The colt was too engaged now to back down, the excitement of knowing there was a potential mate on the other end inspiring him to keep going to see where he ended up. “Sure.” He tried to think of a date and time. There wasn’t any real difference between Saturday and Sunday, but he wanted it soon for fear that he would lose his nerve and chicken out of the whole thing. Ding. As far as hours went, none held any real advantages, although he could conceivably sleep through the earlier appointments and he wouldn’t want his mom and sister getting too worried if he was out too late.

“Your choice, Baby.”

“I would like a date at 9P.M. on Saturday, please.” Ding.

“Certainly, Sir. I will be a pleasure to have you.”

“Same.” Well, now he’d done it, no backing out now. Ding.

“What is your name?”

Shining paused for a moment, scrambling to come up with a name. Then he remembered the one on his fake ID, not that he’d ever used it; he’d just gotten it for the hell of it. He typed out, “Gleaming Shield.” Ding.

“Well, Mr. Shield, see you soon.”

“You too, Madam Velour.” He sent it. Now he’d really done it; no backing out now. He didn’t know if he felt more nervous or excited. Ding.

Shining was woken from his reverie by his mother leaning over to give him his sandwich on a plate, giving him at eyeful of her plentiful chest accentuated all the more by how it hung right in front of his eyes. A deep part of him approved more than he wished to even acknowledge. “For you, my darling prince,” Velvet presented, kissing him right by the base of his horn.

“Gross, Mom,” he fake gagged before digging into his sandwich, which was a thick stack of tomatoes, cucumbers, oats, lettuce, and pickles put between two toasted slices of rye bread. “And what’s with this grainy stuff? Don’t you know growing colts can only take the purest of white bread with the crust removed?”

“Growing colts who are about to join the Royal Guard can do grocery shopping if they want something.”

“Nothing to drink?” Before he could react, a glass of water was on the table. Shining let her win this round; any more whinging and he’d be crossing the boundary from ribbing to actually being unfair to his old mare. Shining relished the exquisite sandwich, eating it quickly. He couldn’t tell his mom just how amazing her cooking was or how much he loved her; stallions weren’t supposed to be mushy like that. They had to be cool. And so, when he finished his lovingly make snack, he waited for her to be at another section of the kitchen before loading it in the dishwasher himself. “Thanks, Mom,” he said.

“You’re welcome, Shiny.”

* * *

The wait for his date was nerve-wracking. Shining didn’t know why, but it was. The next few days passed in a slow blur. He broke the anticipation and monotony by masturbating and going on runs, and sometimes he even checked not just the ad of the mare he’d booked, but also looked up relevant laws. Equestria had no laws against voluntary prostitution by adults, but it did demand that all prostitutes have a valid paramour license, as well as always use condoms for all penetrative acts for more than a century now. Clients were obligated to treat a trick like any other mutual bilateral business transaction as well as to respect a prostitute’s consent. The old joke asked if raping a prostitute was rape or theft. The law answered that it was both. And to his surprise, there were no laws about escorting, either for clients or providers, other than it was a legally recognized profession. Apparently, the difference between prostitutes and escorts was that the former charged for acts and the latter charged for time. Now, it was somehow illegal for an escort to prostitute, but not for a prostitute to escort. He had to shrug his shoulders at that law, though it did probably explain why Velour’s ad had been so strict about communications.

He hung out with some friends on Friday afternoon. He didn’t inform them of his plans to visit a mare of the evening, but the topic of mares did come up. “Shine, I’m telling you, if any of us is getting a mare soon, it’s me,” Fletched Arrow boasted.

“And what makes you think that?” Shining prodded.

The sienna pegasus stretched his wings proudly. “Because word around the flock has it that Derpy Hooves’s parents are looking for a nestmate for-”

“So what,” the third friend, Sprocket Spring interjected. “That’s like the pegasus equivalent of roomies. You’re getting friendzoned and set up by her parents, so uncool.”

“Shut up, mud pony,” Fletched teased. “I’m telling you guys this, because, in case you haven’t noticed, pegasi aren’t the most common types in Canterlot. There are the Wonderbolts, tourists, and then like a handful of us, mostly on weather or in the guard; you don’t need me to tell you this is a unicorn town.”

“Horny master race,” proclaimed Shining, saluting comically high into the sky and firing off a jet of sparks.

“Let me finish,” insisted Fletched. “As I was saying, in pegasus culture, when a mare comes of age to move out on her own, her parents find her a nestmate. Nestmates are chosen by her parents from the coming of age sons of families they know-”

The other two interrupted, “You’re getting married? So young!? Don’t throw your life away – you still haven’t done anything you’ll regret yet.”

“Shut up, Sprocket, your kind doesn’t even marry! Anyway!” Fletched shouted, flaring his wings agitatedly. “It’s not like a marriage, it’s like a training wheels marriage, sorta. It’s so young pegasi can learn how to live in the adult world with somepony else to watch their back and help out. And usually, when a nestmate is chosen, all the of age sisters on the mare’s side and of age brothers on the stallion’s side get put together into one arrangement matched in birth order as best as possible.”

“Great, you all get to have awkward breakfast together after hearing each other go at it all night long. So, anyway, featherbrain, what makes you think you’re going to get Derpy?”

The pegasus grinned slyly. “Because it’s considered bad luck for stallions to outnumber mares in a nest. The numbers can be equal. There can be only a few more mares. There can be a lot more mares. But there can only be a maximum of one stallion per mare. Derpy is all alone and up for nesting. I’m an only child. There aren’t exactly a lot of other options…”

“Given that pegasi breed like pidgeons,” Sprocket snarked.

“Yeah, you talk with your four plus mares to a stallion herds with more foals than teeth.”

Shining laughed, “Both of you sex-crazed animals, overindulging your lust with harems.”

“Sucks to be you,” fired back Fletcher.

“Unicorns are unlucky enough to have a gender ratio that supports monogamy.”

Shining chuckled, “Better than our parents setting us up.”

“At least we get matched by ponies we know instead of some fat bureaucrat,” said Fletcher.

“No wonder you guys have population issues; you can’t even come together and get busy without somepony having to tell you to do it,” the yellow earth pony remarked. “At least we earth ponies get together and get busy. I know unicorn marriage isn’t considered complete until the bride gets pregnant, but you don’t even need to have sex with nestmates.”

“Yeah yeah whatever, mister expert,” rattled Fletched. “Anyway, any foals that result from nestmates breeding get taken care of by the mare’s parents if they’re fillies, and by the stallion’s parents if they’re colts. The partnership lasts three years and automatically dissolves if the mare hasn’t at least gotten pregnant once. If the nestmates don’t even have sex, the whole thing get annulled and they have to do the thing all over again with different ponies. If they’ve had foals together, they get a choice.” He winks. “Most of the time, nestmates have foals together, even if they don’t ultimately stay together. So it’s not like roomies, Spring.”

“That still doesn’t answer our question,” states Shining.

“I’m getting to it; calm your tits. I think I’m going to get Derpy, because we’re both solo eligibles, her family knows my family, and our fathers are thinking of going into business together.”

“Congrats,” the two other friends say together.

“It’s a shame I’m not a few years older; I could have been nestmated with Spitfire.”

“Bro,” Shining says, “I don’t know how anypony would get with Spitfire without being a Hurricanian like her. Blood like that doesn’t just mingle with any old seed.

“I know. So, Hero, you got your eye on any mares?” Shining had to remind himself to keep quiet about his upcoming tryst. “Come on, you can tell us. I don’t bite too hard and that toothless mule can’t bite at all.”

“Well,” Shining muttered, “there’s Cadance…”

“Man, you’ve had the longest crush on her,” Sprocket said. “Take it from me, no good comes from pining after just one mare when there’s a nation of forty-five million or so of them. I bet at least a thousand-”

“Maybe more like one hundred,” Fletched interjected.

“Regardless, there are plenty more clovers in the meadow. Like 3.” The earth pony stretched his neck.

“And I should take your word for it why?”

“Because I’m the only one of us who’s been with a mare.”

“No denying that,” agreed Fletched Arrow.

Spring continued, “While you featherbrains and pinheads are busy trying to get official authorization to shack up before you even start knowing each other, we earth ponies have a simply way of figuring it all out. If you think the other pony’s a fine piece of ass, you tell them, and if they like you back, you get down to business, then you meet the herd. If they like the newbie, then you’re all set. If not, that’s just the way things are; everything gets settled there and then with no lawyers, rituals, or politics. That’s what makes our herds so awesome. If anypony isn’t working out, they can come and go at will. If we have a mare or two who just can’t gel well, we can always send them on to the next herd and get somepony else to take their spot.”

Fletched sighed, “Spring, remind me to never ask you lazy, selfish bastards for any kind of relationship help.”

“As if I’d give it to you.”

Shining laughed, “Well, come on, Sprocket Spring, who’re you looking at?”

“Me?” The earth pony seemed completely nonplussed. “Well, Cheerilee and I like each other. She said she’d show me her maids next week. Aloe, Lotus, Vera, and I are thinking we may just form a herd with me and Birch Bucket being the stallions.”

“Lucky you,” congratulated Fletched.

“Aren’t they related?” Shining asked.

“Nah, they just all have accents.”

“Think it’s gonna be a serious thing?”

“Nope, Hero. They aren’t Apple family mares, so no worry about having to sign my soul on the dotted line. By the way, you thinking about marriage yet?”

“Trying not to.”

“That’s the spirit,” the earth pony smiled.

“It’s not like there aren’t plenty of matches for me here, but I’m going into the guard soon and I have no experience with mares. And because my dad’s always away for something or other, I can’t really go with my family to a matchmaker. In short, I’ve been condemned to freedom.”

Fletched remarked, “You sure are doing your best to stop being free as quickly as possible.”

“Shut up,” grinned Shining. “I’m just worried that if I don’t die in the guard, that I’ll be too old yet inexperienced for a mare by the time I get out.”

“Don’t worry, Shining,” said Spring. “Unicorns are supposed to be virgins. That’s why they’re such great wizards.”

Shining drew a deep breath, admitting, “I’d at least like to know what mares are like before I go off to serve.”

“Not a bad goal, man. Lemme tell you, if pussy got hyped even one percent as good as it really is, every ad in the country would be selling nothing but pussy.”

“For the love of Celestia, Sprocket, don’t go corrupting the poor guy. What if his mother or Cadance learned their dear Shiny was turning naughty?” The pegasus appreciated the minor redness appearing on the unicorn’s cheeks.

“Ooh, I bet his mom would say finally and Cadance would just swoon into the arms of our muscular, delivishly handsome hero.”

“And what would little Twiley say?”

“She’d probably want to watch,” teased Sprocket.

“That’s enough, guys!” Shining growled with real annoyance this time, though he did have to admit that Twilight Sparkle would probably be enough of an inappropriate nerd to somehow find a way to take an academic interest in his carnal adventures, probably reading a massive reference tome while jotting down notes,

Fletched Arrow yawned, “Anyway, guys, it’s been real, but I’ve got to get home before my falcon starts hunting her majesty’s park animals again. Later.”

“Later,” echoed Shining.

“Later,” affirmed Spring. “Get some, Shining.” And like that, Shining Armor was starkly reminded of his situation again.

* * *

On the day of his liaison, Shining Armor had planned that he would wear nice clothes to his date instead of his usual t-shirt and cammies. The only obstacle in the way was his mother, whom would definitely see something amiss if he just walked out of his room dressed unusually nicely. He had the address now and had used the internet to figure out how he was going to get there. It wasn’t too far to walk. It was a little bit of a trek and mostly uphill, but it would only be a few miles, where there would be an upscale hotel waiting with a beautiful mare waiting for him. He was in shape; conditioning to go into the guard hard turned him from a slightly flabby guy four years ago into a toned young man. He wasn’t ripped, he wasn’t swole, he didn’t even look that strong, just toned. As he preened that evening in the mirror, he had to admit to himself that he was actually pretty nice looking. He wasn’t good looking enough to be approached by mares, but he doubted any mare would take special pains to avoid looking at him. He stood there in front of the bathroom mirror clad in a button-down shirt with khaki pants.

All the preparations had been made. He had discretely acquired some condoms in his size, he had withdrawn the 150 for Madam Eventide Velour as well as put it into an envelope he had swiped from the desk in the living room everyone in the family used for all their stationery needs. He had made sure to showed very well, using soap, shampoo, and conditioner, then getting himself with a hint of body spray. At long last, on his dry run there, he had discovered a florist shop and had factored in time to grab a solid dozen red roses. And finally, to cap it all off, he’d gotten the genius idea of hiring a locker by the park to store the money and condoms in so his family couldn’t spot it and ask questions. This was the perfect time to go. His mom was downstairs, but had hinted she wouldn’t be around to cook dinner that night, Twiley was studying with Moondancer at the castle, and his father would be out of town until some vague point in the future. All clear, unless he ran right into somepony. But who? Cadance? She had never shown on any of his dry runs. His mother? Fat chance. His friends? They’d be busy either at their jobs or pursuing good times of their own. The moon was bright and the tide was right.

He waited, passing time on his computer in that very unrelaxing way of relaxing, forcing himself to browse the web while he waited for the telltale signs of his mother leaving. Once she was gone, he’d give her a twenty minute head start before he set out just to be sure she didn’t come back for anything or see him. It would take about an hour to reach his destination, fifteen minutes each mile.

Finally, words came up the stairs. “Shiny, I’m leaving. See you tomorrow. I love you.”

“Seeya, Mom,” he answered back. Then he waited for several extremely long seconds until he heard the front door wham shut heavily like it always did. He spent the next twenty minutes excited but nervous as hell, listening keenly for any sign of anypony’s presence. When the time did pass, he breathed deeply, exhaling, “Mission is a go.”

Shining Armor stroke forth from the house, locking it behind him. He strode briskly along his meticulously memorized route. He stopped by his locker to grab the condoms and money, stowing in his pockets. He stopped by the florist to quickly grab his ordered dozen red roses. He was now set to rock and roll.

The hike wasn’t that hard, but he did sweat a bit and his heart did hammer more. Months of exercising to prepare for his shipping off to boot camp had paid off, and he made progress at a rate many other ponies would have gawked at had they been following. He made sure to avoid the heavy traffic streets, as not only would they more likely have someone on them who would recognize him, but there was a higher chance of his whole setup being ruined by someone crashing into him or pickpocketing him. And so he made his march along a deliberately chosen progression of side streets, alleyways, and service roads. He had to admit that not being in the crowd and by the traffic definitely made his progress not only quicker but also more pleasant.

The third mile was the hardest due to having the steepest slope that simply did not let up. It was also at this point that it began to rain. First it was a slight drizzle, but a few minutes later, it soon began to rapidly intensify from a near mist into a pitter-pattering spritz into drip drops of water into full on big Canterlot mountain raindrops. Canterlot had Equestria’s second best weather control, but their ability to corral one hundred percent of the mountain weather would never quite be complete due to the capriciousness of the mountain, the rain shadow effect, and also the simple fact that there simply were not enough pegasi in the city to form a large continuous weather force. In order to keep things working, sacrifices had to be made, and less weather control on weekends after dark was one of those. After all, an angry weather team could very quickly make one wish that they didn’t even have weather control at all. The rain failed to dampen Shining’s spirits, however, he was going to get LAID! There was that marvelous, heady feel like a slight tightness in his chest coupled with a bit of heat in his lungs and his groin. He could swear that his balls were warmer, slightly swollen and tingly. It was the same excitement he’d known as a boy when he did something fun but against the rules – something he’d enjoy doing but didn’t want to be caught at, like sneaking cookies or climbing buildings. When he’d got older, this was the feeling he’d come to associate with sneaking peeks and masturbating. Recently, he’d come to associate it with scoring some discrete liquor. Now, there was a new thing to associate with it: the knowledge that he would soon experience the height of mortal pleasure.

Then, like a looming giant, there stood the Shemareaton. He stood still for a few seconds. The rain was abating due to a few pegasi taking a personal opportunity to foist that bit of dampness of on somepony else. He walked along the loop and then stepped into the lobby through the big automatic doors.

The interior was well decorated yet understated despite the obvious air of class and low luxury it projected. He took a seat in a chair off to the side and texted Eventide Velour. “My lady, I have arrived in the lobby. I await your instructions.”

Not even thirty seconds later, he got a reply. “Sir, come inside room 762. Knock four times.”

The stallion turned off his phone to ensure no distractions later. He pocketed it, taking one last opportunity to check for his condoms and money. All clear. And so he went to the elevators and got a lift to the seventh heaven.

To say that the colt was nervous as hell would be the greatest use of litotes in the history of understatement. Not even the knowledge that he would one day soon be shark attacked by a swarm of screaming drill sergeants was quite as fearful as this. He could stop. He could go back, if he really wanted to, but he didn’t. His mind was made up. Half a million scenarios chased each other around his head. She wasn’t there, it was the cops busting him for some crime, he was really just going to be robbed, someone he knew would be there, he wouldn’t be able to do it well, he’d panic, the hotel would catch fire, he’d have a heart attack, she’d blackmail him. All these and even wilder ideas plagued him as he stepped off the elevator and made the fateful march to room 762, where he will knock four times at the end of time of boyhood.

Before he even knew where he was, he found himself staring at the brass numbers 762. He forcibly calmed himself, though he could feel himself shaking with some unknown anxious anticipation. He raised his fist and knocked four times. Rap! Rap! Rap! Rap!

“Coming!” a mare’s voice sounded from inside. She had a mustangian twang. Seconds later, the door was thrown wide open and a mare just like the one he’d seen in the photographs on the ad. And if he thought she was stunning in photos, she was nearly overwhelming in person. He now knew what beauty looked like.

The mare stood sevel inches shorter than he did, but her undeniable presence and personality projected to make her feel like a giantess. Her silvery fur shone. Her aqua eyes fixed him with most friendly, mischievous gaze he had ever seen. Her breasts were indeed large, so large that two handfuls would struggle to contain just one of them. He wouldn’t be surprised if she wasn’t wearing a bra due to how they sat up high and perky on her chest, and if she were wearing one, wow… Her waist indeed came out to an hourglass figure. She wasn’t exactly super thin, but he could not deny her body was juicy. Her hips flared out under the skimpy nightie and black panties she wore. Her face was kind, a tad plain, actually, but kind. And her mane of hair was simply gorgeous, being glossy, vibrantly bright pink and yellow. If she was really a dam, her body definitely didn’t betray it. She was damn good loocking, but not enough to be obvious in a crowd.

While Shining was trying and failing to take in all this beauty, the door had been shut behind him, and the next thing he knew, she was hugging him. “Gleaming Shield, so great to see you!” She had a twangy, Mustangian accent. Heat suffused his cheeks as he realized she very well could be wearing nothing underneath, and that her soft body pressing against him.

“It’s uh, nice to uh, see you, too,” he stammered.

He felt himself stirring down below. The mare rubbed up against him and whispered, “I can feel you're just excited as I am.” Shining’s cheeks nearly ignited. Breaking out of the hug, he pulled out the envelope of cash and handed it to her as well as produced his fake ID just to confirm who he was. “Thank you kindly,” Eventide Velour smiled, taking both of them. “Now, into the shower. I want you all clean before our dirty fun.” And with that she smacked his ass, herding him into the bathroom, closing the door behind himself. Shining Armor stripped naked and took a quick shower, almost overwhelmed by the reality of everything happening. He dried himself off quickly, not wanting to short himself of his session. There was a robe thoughtfully hanging from the knob of the door. He got the message and put it on before returning to the main room.

For a slightly upmarket hotel room, this was fairly standard. What was not standard, however, was the gorgeous mare looking at him while posed seductively atop the far bed in a nightie and what the colt now realized was the bottom half of a lacey black lingerie set. Shining Armor had absolutely no experience with such things, but that was about to change. He approached eagerly yet cautiously. He didn’t know what to do at all whatsoever.

Luckily, Eventide must have spotted his unease, as if she couldn’t, and patted the bed. “Come, Gleaming.” She drew herself up into a sitting position and put an arm around the poor male as he sat down. “First time doing this?”

He couldn’t quite look her in the eye. “Y-yeah…” He wished he could have said any hundred other more manly things than that.

“There’s a first time for everything, y’know,” she smiled, leaning backwards, taking him deeper into the bed with her. He felt his robe part, and he knew his private part was exposed from a certain angle, not that he had time to be embarrassed. This lady’s warm embrace was beckoning him. It took him all his courage to return her touch with his right hand. Gently, he grasped her arm. They were now both lying propped up on the pillows face to face. She entwined he fingers around his wrist and moved his hand down, saying, “Come on, touch me,” as she brushed his hand along the curve of her side, bringing it to a rest on her hip.

Her body was warm and inviting. Shining could not deny that he wanted her. He felt himself stiffen. He smelled lavender and just a few hints of sweat. That was going to change before too long. He lifted up a hand towards her chest. "May I?"

She let out a pleased noise and pulled it to her bosom. He grasped soft, feminine flesh. How arousing. This was something. Something very nice. "Ohhhhhhhh..." he sighed in innocent awe.

"Do you like them?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She laughed. "How about I let you get better acquainted?" And with that, the mare sat up to pull off her shirt. She was wearing no bra! Her gorgeous breasts were sitting high up on her chest and yet slightly parted invitingly, just like those mares in those videos! Shining Armor helped himself. He was hard now, and nature was taking its course with him. This mare... oh, this mare! Sexy and mature. He dug in with his hands. He watched mesmerized as he groped and fondled the mare. He touched her nipples, eliciting an aroused groan. He took that as a sign to go harder still. He sunk his fingers in as far as they would go into the plush mounds. He squeezed as hard as he could, not noticing the grimace on her face. This was so intoxicating! He felt something hard under he skin. She was making noises. He grabbed harder to figure out what it was. "Aah" Eventide hissed, grabbing his hands and pulling them off her breasts. "Not so rough!" the older mare glared, causing the teenager to blanch.

"S-sorry."

"It's okay, Gleaming," the escort reassured, her glare falling into a sympathetic expression. "Every colt gets a little overexcited the first time he's with a real live mare. Just not so rough, okay? Here, be gentle with me..." She pulled his head into her chest. "Lick and suck," she cooed, guiding his hand down lower. He felt the soft fabric of her panties. They were already moist. "Touch me inside." With that, Shining Armor maneuvered his fingers into her panties. For the first time, he felt a mare's slit. Whoa. He stopped his suckling at her teats to wonder in the soft, silky texture of her vulva. He found a nub and touched it. "That's the clitoris -- if you touch that just right, you'll make a mare very happy." She directed his hand just a little further down. "Now try this..." His fingertips pressed and her flesh yielded. Like that, he was inside her. She made a pleasured sound. "What do you think?" This mare was playing him like a fiddle, using her skill and cunning to get him past his awkwardness mostly unscathed. Well, as unscathed as could be done on any colt's first time, which was to say that if he didn't end up fabricating a much better story for his friends to cover his ass, that would constitute a success.

He truthfully didn't know what to say. This was fulfilling so many of his boyhood fantasies. Here he was, about to learn what true pleasure was, and at the hands of a genuine beauty. Twiley would have said something like his brain would have been melting from happiness. His mouth was dry, but he managed to get a few choice words out. "It's amazing," he said, smiling wider than the orbit of the outermost planet.

"Good. I like you, too. How would you like to be inside me?" She was fixing him with those trustworthy aqua eyes. In their gaze, Shining just instinctively knew he had nothing to fear. He nodded. She pulled off her panties before parting his robe. "Get naked," Eventide Velour said, smiling seductively at him, inducing the nervouscited colt to disrobe in a heart beat, lying on his back awaiting what was coming next. "Now just relax for a second while we take care of some business first, then it will be all pleasure." Eventide opened the drawer of the nightstand and pulled out a condom. She opened it, and placing it in her mouth, bobbed down on Shining's cock. He gasped in amazement, getting a warm smile from her. She sucked him for a bit, sending pleasure up and down his length with her tongue, lips, and mouth. She popped off it. "How does that feel, Gleaming?" Eventide asked, fingering herself to make sure she was wet.

"Good," he answered, now fully hard. "May I-" He blushed and caught himself for a few seconds while she looked on. "May I um, ummmm, well, uhh, do you?" His cheeks could have lit the bedding.

"Sure," said Eventide, taking position beside him and spreading her legs. "Have your way with me." She shoved him slightly, prompting him to take position kneeling between her thighs.

He crawled towards her, operating purely on base instinct. He shoved between her, awkwardly. She just laughed goodnaturedly and guided him inside with her hand. He gasped. So wet. So tight. So good. It felt like heaven! He didn't even notice the condom. Granted, raw saw may have just fried his neurons. She gasped, pulling him deeper inside her folds. Here he was, no longer a virgin. He was in a mare. He was fucking a mare! He was having sex! He was so excited, new, amazing sensations bombarding him in pleasurable barrages, that he lost control and went berserk, taking this mare, making her HIS whore. He had to copulate with her until he could do so no longer. He saw her tits bouncing, her lips parted, releasing delectable cries, calling his assumed name. It felt so good. He went faster and deeper, her legs locked around him to keep him trapped there until the deed was done and he was spent. Pleasure mounted light lightning, an electrical charge spreading from his groin to the entirety of his body. This had to be heaven. He was reaching a peak, a certain pressure as if his cock were going to explode. His balls had tightened. He tried to cry out, to say something or give her some warning like actors in porn did, but he couldn't make anything but a few strange noises before he lost control.

He came inside her. He came in that mare deep and hard. Madam Eventide Velour milked him for everything he had as it felt like rivers of cum flowed from his cock. He came so much it hurt slightly. He whited out momentarily from pleasure, unaware of what he was doing. That safe, familiar touch pulled him through. So good... He collapsed sweaty against his whore's chest, utterly spent, but at least presumedly happy about his entrance into her and manhood. This was fabulous. He held her close. She smelled homey, like lavendar. He muttered something happily before he fell asleep in her comforting embrace.

He could not wait to do this many more times.

And after he left, the mare breathed a sigh of relief as her mane cascaded free, turning again to strands of purple and white, her voice changing from the twang of Mustangia to the clip of Canterlot. She had to go home now, too; she had a filly and colt to take care of.


	2. Going Public

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shining Armor has another date with Velour. A find in the laundry raises suspicions.

Shining got home with a smile on his face. He went and showered again to wash all the smells and perfumes off him. He thought he would have felt dirty, losing his virginity to a prostitute like that, but he didn’t. He just felt good. Eventide had certainly done her best to make him feel like a stallion. He sat and meditated under the flowing hot water, just soaking in his euphoric mood.

Not too much later his mother got home. She came up the stairs. “Night, Shining,” she said. “I love you.”

“Love you too, Mom.” Shining finished his shower and went to bed. That night, he dreamt of Eventide, being balls deep inside her, her moans of ecstasy as he rutted her, and the buildup of pleasurable pressure until he finally came inside. He woke up in the morning with a shrinking erection and a new stain on his thighs. He also had the definite desire to see her again.

He did have to admit that seeing Eventide was very quickly going to become a very expensive habit. However, he told himself, that didn’t matter too much, because he was about to go off into the Royal Guard anyway; he would have a steady income, as well as no opportunity to spend any money at all on anything during his months in training, all adding up to an unparalleled chance in his life to splurge on things he wanted. He did a bit of quick mental math. His part time job’s pay was three bits an hour, and he got on average maybe at most 15 hours per week, but more often closer to 10. His savings were in the low thousands – enough to get maybe a solid 24 hours and then some of her if he wanted. Eventide Velour cost at least 100 bits an hour, so, without bankrupting himself or eating into his savings, he could only afford to see her about once a month and for only an hour. That simply wouldn’t do. He had to see her more. He had to fuck her more. He’d just discovered the most pleasurable thing he’d ever encountered and had no intention of having a mere taste of it and then giving up.

There was only one thing to do.

He got a sinking feeling in his wallet.

He saw her three more times over the next five weeks. Although it was expensive, nothing had ever made him happier. She was becoming his addiction.

One day, he was having a chat with his friends. Fletched Arrow had been very excited since the previous day, constantly   
being on the verge of buzzing jitters. “Alright, Arrow, what’s got you so excited?” Spring Sprocket asked.

“I’m becoming nestmates with Derpy!” he beamed ecstatically.

“So tragic,” quipped Sprocket. “Your youth signed away before you even knew what you had."

“That’s not all, guys!”

“I hope you weren’t hoping on having sex, too, because I hear wedding cake cures libido,” Shining joked.

“Even worse – two mares to be denymphoed.”

Shining prodded, “So who’s the other distressed damsel?”

“Cloud Kicker.”

“Oh poor you,” said Spring Sprocket. “I heard she bucks like a madmare. “Too bad you definitely won’t be tapping that.”

“Yeah, Arrow, I’ll go save you the misfortune and just claim her for myself so you don’t have to suffer premature ejaculation when you try to put it in her.”

“Bold words for you, Shiny the virgin,” Fletched Arrow ribbed back.

Shining Armor open his mouth. He had a conquest to shame all of theirs, it was on the tip of his tongue, but he stopped himself; he couldn’t tell his friends he was currently paying through the nose for nookie. He inwardly sighed before he defended himself. “I’ll have you know I am a virgin by choice.”

“Yes, indeed, by choice,” mused his two friends. “By choosing to chicken out of trying Cadance!”

“As you put it, girls’ choice!”

“You call it cowardice, I call it not getting humiliated.”

“Y’hear that, Fletched? This colt who’s too scared to talk to fillies is going to be protecting us all when he’s a big bad Royal Guard.”

“Celestia save us all,” Fletched Arrow groaned melodramatically, feinting fainting.

“Tell you what, the next time I see Cadance, I’ll ask her out.”

The pegasus and the earth pony looked at the unicorn with mock awe. “So very brave,” said Sprocket.

“Positively heroic,” agreed Arrow.

“The worst she’ll say is fuck me now.”

“Gotta suck not having any pussy on the horizon.”

Shiny wanted to tell them the truth, but he didn’t want to risk the backlash. He chewed his tongue into obedience. With nothing else to do, he changed the subject. “Anyway, Sprocket, what’s the deal with that herd you’re terrorizing?”

“The status is that it’s a go. Left such a horrible impression they don’t want to unleash me upon the rest of Equestria.”   
The stallion couldn’t help but strut with some extra swing in his hips.

“Poor us,” Armor and Arrow commiserated.

Arrow asked, “So, is it going official?”

“Nothing yet; with my schedule, I can only be around on alternate weekends."

“Every other weekend?” Shining Armor asked. “But we’ll be so lonely; how will we ever survive without you? How could you break our hearts like this? Sprocket, we love you, please don’t go!”

“You two could just fuck each other, you know. Arrow, make an honest mare out of Shining. Shining, pay attention to what Arrow teaches you; it’ll help you win the stallion of your dreams later.” All three of them laughed.

“No thanks; I’m sure Cadance has a clit bigger than your third leg.”

“Oooh, so you’ve seen hers, have you?”

“Not yet, but I will if it saves me a lifetime of remembering having to watch my own deflowering through an electron microscope.

“Attaboy!” Cheered Spring Sprocket, slapping the unicorn on the back. “Where’d all that bravado come from all of a sudden?”

“Well, it definitely didn’t come from you.”

Indeed, it hadn’t come from them at all. Instead, Shining was pretty sure he knew the source of his newfound and growing confidence, biblically. There was no mistaking it; the source had to be Eventide Velour, given the way that every session they had always left him feeling like a brand new, masculine stallion. Before he had started seeing her, he was only sure that the future held nothing but a dry dick for him. Now, he was beginning to see a future where he may very well have just what it took to win Cadance over. A crazy new idea struck him. Once he was alone, he started composing a new text to Velour. He had something a little different in mind for their next meeting.

\-----------

Shining Armor stood tapping his foot under the bright sun. He had a plan, now he hoped it would work. He glanced at his watch. 2:30. Now was the time. He scanned the line for his mare, a silver mare with a pink and yellow mane. He checked his phone. Where the hell was she? His primary target had already gone in, and now he was waiting for her. He checked his phone. No new texts. No new calls, either. He looked at his emails. Nothing from them. He put his phone back into his pocket.

“Hello,” greeted a familiar Mustangian mare’s voice.

Shining Armor looked up to see Eventide Velour standing before him in a blouse and skirt ensemble that stopped just shy of her knees. They greeted with a hug, during which he discretely slid his envelope into her purse. She slipped her fingers in, and feeling it there, resumed her affections. “Are you wearing it?”

“Yes, right underneath these,” she teased, hiking up her skirt to flash him a high side orange and and black tiger striped bikini bottom.

He playfully smacked her ass, “You slut,” he joked right back. She laughed. He got them in line. “So, are we clear on the goals today?”

“If by clear you mean have fun here for a couple hours, get you to ask out the mare of your dreams if we see her, and then go someplace private and fuck like rabbits, then yes, we are clear.”

“Good,” smiled Shining Armor. “And, you know, I’ve got a thing for lingerie. I can’t believe I’ve never seen you in a bikini.”

“I haven’t had an occasion to wear one in a long time, so I should be thanking you for taking me on this little adventure of yours.”

“The pleasure’s all mine,” the young gentlecolt replied with a grin. “I’m just glad to share it with a beautiful lady like you.”  
“And I’m so honored as to have a handsome young stallion like you seeking my company, even to be seen in public with me.” This train of increasingly corny flirts continued until they got up to the admission counter. Shining paid up for two short times passes for the pair of them and they quickly went inside. “I will see you on the far side of the changing rooms, Gleaming,” announced Eventide with a wave.

Shining Armor went into the stallions’ room and quickly stripped down out of his shirt, shoes, and socks. Then he applied some sunscreen to himself before mentally rehearsing his plan. He had planned to hopefully find Cadance here; he knew this water park was one of her favorite spots to hang out, thanks to talk and her social media posts; they were longtime Facehoof friends. He was hoping that Eventide’s presence would embolden him to go make a move on her, and hopefully she would reciprocate. If she accepted, then he’d go bang Eventide’s brains out to celebrate. If she rejected him, Eventide would be right there to console him with a quick round of feelgood nookie. If Cadance failed to show herself, then he was still getting a date with a beautiful mare in a bikini followed by trying something a little more daring than he had done in the past. Shining locked up his stuff and exited the room.

He had to wait a few minutes for his escort to come out the other side. When she did, his jaw almost hit the floor. Sure, the bikini could have been more revealing, but it hugged her fine curves around her hips while showcasing her abundant breasts. The high sides of the bottoms showcased her legs, thighs, and hips, while the triangular shapes of the cups highlighted her curvature and cleavage. As if to top off the whole image, she was now wearing sunglasses like an old fashioned sexy glamorous film star – his own personal movie star.

“You look nice,” he said, the flush on his face evident. “I think we may have to cut this stage of our rendezvous short…”

“You’re one to talk, Shield,” teased back Eventide. She laughed. “Tempting a refined lady with that fit, young body of yours; you ought to be locked up for your own good.” Shining noticed that indeed a few mares were casting glances his way. All the workouts and runs suddenly felt pretty worth it. His heart gathered a little strength. Maybe his dream wasn’t a complete flight of fancy after all. And that laugh, something about it made him feel right at home, intimately bonded with this mare he hardly knew.

They quickly got a couple deck chairs and spread out their towels on the. Shining moved his closer to his companion’s. Eventide Velour pulled something from her bag and gave it to him, reclining on her front, giving him a fine profile view of her body. “Put some sunblock on me, won’t you?” Velour requested with mock innocence.

Here was a situation right out of raunchy comedies and possibly some pornos. The young stallion gave a short start, but he assented. “Y-yeah,” he stuttered, trying to play cool. He had to admit that Eventide had a very fine profile – nice ass, flank, and legs. He grabbed the cylinder, jerked and squeezed until white stuff spurted from it and onto his hands. He then rubbed down his mare starting from her upper neck, and then down to her shoulders. As he worked, she gave a murmur and eased into his touch, prompting him to switch from a mechanical administering to a more involved massage He rubbed her in circles along her arms and down her back. He coated around the straps of the bikini, not quite brave enough to go underneath. Then he had to go lower. He swallowed, put off by the fact that they were in public.

“What’s the matter?” Eventide cooed at him. “Don’t you want to save my ass from getting all red? Or maybe you want it to happen…?”

She wriggled. He blushed. “N-nothing..” Shining said, moving down lower after reapplying the sunscreen. He felt her warm, living body beneath his fingers. He felt himself hardening as he moved closer to her lower regions. His hands met the round of her hips. He touched gingerly, not wanting to give passerby the wrong impression, but something in him was making him more excited than he cared to admit. He survived her marvelously sculpted ass, a thing not quite as taught and round as it could have once been, but considering her age, it was more than even one in ten of his companion’s peers could boast. Then he got to her thighs and did them slower, but with more pressure. Last came the calves and feet. These were easy, but he was careful to not tickle them. “Done,” he said.

“My turn,” announced Velour. “Lay down on your stomach, Dear,” she instructed. He complied. He was thankful that the deck chairs used yielding straps instead of hard wood for their surface. She then took the sunscreen and rubbed him down, slowly and sensuously, from the neck on down. While she did so, she whispered into his ear, “You’re liking this, aren’t you, you dirty boy?” She went down to his lower back and butt. “I know you got hard touching me. I could hear it in your voice. If you asked, I would service you right here, right now. Don’t you want me?” Her touch was strong, more like heavy petting than slathering on a lotion. Shining could not deny the effect it was having on him. He was getting so turned on in public, and a mare was offering herself to him while he was powerless. He felt shame. He felt embarrassment. Somehow, those two things mated to create a paradoxical, itching desire to join his body with hers and make her eat those words. But he couldn’t – not with so many others around, and not while he had hours to go on his session. As far as he knew, he was a one and done kind of stallion, so blowing his load now would mean he might not be able to perform in private later. His caution got the better of him this time. “All done,” announced Velour, prompting Shining to turn his head to face her. They kissed quickly with lips and tongues before he finished rolling over and sitting back up.

Eventide Velour gave the teenager another dollop of sun lotion to put on his front before she started taking care of her own front. She made a point of making a show, using more than strictly necessary, taking her time with sensuous strokes, and rubbing it on until it made her gleam. Soft moans escaped her lips, only serving to further increase the rosation of her gentlecolt’s white cheeks. Her hands wound around from her cleavage, to her tummy, to her hips. Most erotically tackled of all were the thighs. She brought her hands so close to her barely covered slit, knowing that her companion would get the message. It worked as he ever so slightly avoided scandal, never quite crossing the line from application to masturbation. She saw the bulge in his trunks, but let it go, wanting to tease him and heighten the tension until she had him alone and it all flooded out. She shifted her posture a bit and felt moisture on her crotch; she was enjoying this, too. His burgeoning muscles, his arms thin yet defined with that elusive virginal virility of youth, his slightly longish mane, the earnestness of his face, and the way his belly was concave. He hadn’t been bad looking when she’d started seeing him a bit more than two months ago, but her future soldier was showing the benefits of the rigor needed to thrive in the Royal Guard. Most clients were just a paycheck, some kissing, some talk, and a fuck before heading out the door to likely never see her again. But this one was growing on her. She guessed she liked him more than most on some level. It was going to be bittersweet seeing him go away for months; he was one of her best customers, too, but when he got back, he’d be even hotter, and have money to burn. Plus, she admired a stallion in uniform.

They spent the next hour playing around the park. It was a weekday, so the lines weren’t too long. Regardless, there was a small but steady breeze – far too little to be easily noticeable when dry and warm, but after going down a slide and into the not exactly warm water below, it made an impact. The refined lady and young gentleman kept each other warm with their bodies between rounds, trying to share body heat and soak up the sun as best they could. Their contact started out with rather chaste standing together, but things naturally did not stay that way. Shining Armor was unsure as to whose urges got the better of them first, but they initially started with just standing close together. Then one of them put the arm around the other. Then they were both arm in arm. Then they were standing in a full embrace. Then, before they knew it, they were making out. At the top of one dual slide, they challenged each other, “Race!” Velour leapt down feet first. Shining, being a reckless colt not yet fully in touch with his own frailty, leapt down headfirst to the consternation of the lifeguard. Neither of them saw who won, but that didn’t seem to matter as the spontaneous wresting splash fight that erupted at the bottom landing pool.

Before too long, however, it turned out like all other trips to a water park in recorded history. Wanting more water than park, the two of them commandeered a double donut tube and drifted down the lazy river together. Well, more accurately, they started out with the same tube, but Shining couldn’t keep still for much more than forty-five seconds at a time, so he would regularly abscond to swim both above the surface and underwater, sometimes with the current, sometimes against the current, and sometimes doing his best just to either hold place or keep pace. During his comings and goings, he made a point of grabbing his escort’s ass surreptitiously. He hadn’t forgotten all about how she had gotten him worked up on the chair, and now he was enjoying some sweet revenge. From a neighboring tube, he discretely groped her under the cover of plastic and water. He watched her chest repress its heaves and her face give telltale twitches. He loved doing it through the fabric of her bikini; it made it all seem the more hot and dirty. One time underwater, he even was so bold as to slip his fingers in under the bottom and play with her clit and labia. This mare was his to torment, at least for a few seconds, until she clamped her thighs around him, trapping him there until he had to thrash himself free to breathe.

“Gotcha!” Velour teased.

“Took my breath away,” panted Shiny.

“Just you wait,” she replied with a devilish toothy cat grin. He blushed.

“The nerve, woman!”

“Stuff it, kid,” laughed Eventide Velour in that familiar way, “I’m giving you just what you asked for. I thought you were feeling bold this time around.”

“I am. You’re just so much bolder. I am but a mere hatchling, thrust into a big adult world. I need somepony to guide me carefully and gently, a mature lady of the world who’ll take care of me.”

“Keep seeing me, my dear cub, and I promise you’ll be a roaring lion in no time.” The wicked grin on her face only grew. Shining Armor knew that things were going to be extremely memorable once they got somewhere private, if they even made it that far… With the way this mare was revving him up with every single look, touch, and word, he might not even make it to the end of the conversation without a new stain on his clothes.

Shining gave his best attempt at a reply. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“Before I’m even half done with you, you’ll be the desire of every ladyboner in Equestria.”

“Nonsense,” he laughed, batting away at the air. “I’m not some heartthrob.”

“Not yet,” answered Eventide, tussling the back of his hair reassuringly. “I know you will be.” Something caught her eye. She moved her head, locking onto it. “In fact…” Shining got a sinking feeling in his stomach. “Do you remember that Cadance filly you told me about?”

Cadance… Shining’s chest immediately tightened. “Yeah.”

Eventide lifted an arm. “She’s right there,” she said, pointing at the concession line. The youth’s head spun around to catch a glimpse of Princess Cadance Mi Amore Cadenza in the flesh, standing in line for concessions. She was beautiful. Slender, elegant, well-formed, nearly ethereal, she seemed more like a goddess paid tribute by flesh rather than a creature born and then ascended. If Cloud Kicker registered an 8 on the hotness scale, Eventide Velour hit 9, and Spitfire was a perfect 10, Cadance could be grudgingly lowballed at a solid 13.

“I see her…” Shiny ventured, not quite sure what was going on.

“You should go talk to her,” smirked Velour.

“What!? N-no way! W-w-why?”

The escort met her client’s panic with flirty coolness. “Why not give her a try? Ask her out -- you’ve already won today beyond your wildest dreams just by being with me. Why not go for a double victory?”

“B-be-because there’s no way she’d say yes in a billion years.”

Velour smirked knowingly. She caressed his shorts. “You know, Gleaming Shield, if you ask her out, I’ll suck your cock behind the waterfall.”

This made him only stiffen more. “What if I-”

She silenced him with a finger. “If she says yes, consider it a celebratory blowjob. If she says no, take it as consolation that a sexy mare like me is sucking your cock. Regardless, you’re getting your cock sucked, at the very least…”

Shining swallowed. “Okay, I’ll try.”

“Good boy,” teased Eventide, smacking his ass underwater. “Go gitt’er. And bring me a Coke while you’re at it!” But it was too late; he was already off to face his destiny.

Shining emerged from the water feeling like a condemned criminal. Here was his doom, an inevitable obstacle a lifetime in facing. All he had to do was talk to the most beautiful, kind, intelligent, amazing, desirable and available mare in all of Equestria and get her to say yes to him? How hard could it be?

He had to do it.

He approached. He got behind her in line. She wore a skimpy string bikini, the kind normally reserved for sunbathing rather than swimming, or performing a striptease. His mouth was desert dry, despite the best efforts of the water and his date to the contrary. She stood definitely taller than him; while he wasn’t unlucky as some other ponies in the height department, including most pegasi, his six foot nothing made him look like the colt he felt he was when up against the peerless alicorn mare who stood before him towering at least a few inches short of a whole seven feet. Add that to her amazingly svelte figure – she was narrower than either him or Eventide despite being so much taller, and he felt like a fat hobbit next to a graceful elf.

This was it, do or die. “H-hi, Cadance,” he stumbled out.

The mare of his dreams turned around. His face was level with her lovely modest breasts, a sign of her pegasi heritage. “Hi, Shining.”

“What are you doing here?” His speech was awkward, stilted, stunted. He imagined the most elegant stallion possible, and then realized he was being the exact opposite of that.

“Nothing,” answered the pink goddess. He couldn’t keep eye contact with her. Trying to look up at her orbs only led to him feeling somehow even more impossibly embarrassed. Deep in his heart, he knew this encounter would be an unending source of cringe for him until his last dying breath.

“That’s cool,” he said. He swayed on his legs. He looked up with her. “Wan-nahangoutwithme?” He almost covered his mouth in shock.

“What?”

“I was wondering, you don’t have to, but may if, like, say you’d want to hang out with me sometime…?” This was it. Here he was, everything on the line, doing the two things he’d been advised about mares – use the direct approach and be himself.

He didn’t look long enough at her face to register everything, but his sunken heart burrowed through the bottom of his guts and somewhere into his left ankle with what he did see. Everything felt so stiff and unreal. Maybe this was a dream and he was destined to be the conquering hero?

“I’m sorry, Shiny, but no. I’m really really really super busy. Princess Celestia has me really busy with my studies, and when it’s not that, your mom has me babysitting Twilight. But I’ll see you around next time I come over.” There was no pep or vigor in the mare’s voice. Everything sounded like it was picked delicately like sharp shards of broken glass.  
Shining Armor blushed. “Oh, yeah, that- that’s cool.”

“By the way, is she here with you?”

Shining’s heart thudded to a stop again. “Who?”

“Your mom.”

Alarms blared inside the stallion’s head. “N-n-nononono! She’s uh, somepony from work.”

Cadance twiddled her thumbs. ‘Oh, sorry, I just thought she looked like her with a dye job, no offense.”

“I guess she does look a bit like her…” Shining Armor ceded, gears in his head whirring a bit. He had to get out of this conversation; he’d already failed his mission and every passing millisecond only made things more awkward. He exited with all the grace of a drunken amputee sheep. “Well, seeya, Lessons, have fun with Cadance.”

“Bye…” Princess Cadance waved weakly at his retreating back, unsure if he’d even heard her.

The stallion somehow found his way to a vending machine in a daze and bought his escort her Cokethere. Everything was buzzing like crazy around his head. He’d done it now – botched his one and only chance. His embarrassment was going to be national news – he’d be a national laughingstock before bedtime. Even daring to think about hitting on a princess? Now he’d paid the price for talking himself into thinking he’d even had something resembling a third cousin twice removed to a chance! His only consolation was that her friends or guards hadn’t been around to see it. He found his way back into the lazy river and waded in a daze to the waterfall.

The waterfall was a screen of water that fell down from a ledge on the artificial rocks forming the structure of an artificial island which constituted the heart of the water park. The lazy river formed a border, inside which was boasted to be four acres of slides, rides, pools, games, and challenges. The waterfall wasn’t exactly opaque, but it did obscure and had a nice grotto inside with shallow water, and it was located in a back part of the lazy river, away from too many prying eyes.   
And on a weekday...

Shining Armor waddled through the waterfall with scarcely a care about the battering of water on his head. The water cleared from his eyes to reveal Eventide Velour looking expectantly at him. “How did it go?” Shiny shook his head, hanging it in shame. Eventide shuffled up to him and hugged him. “You’ll get her next time.”  
He didn’t return the hug. “There won’t be a next time.”

“Why not?”

“I got scared… I blew every line and made things awkward.”

Eventide drew him deeper into the grotto. “Did you now?” Her client nodded. “I saw the whole thing, but did you see how she was responding to you?”

“I couldn’t even look her in the eye.”

“True, but if you had, there was something there for a second you should have seen.”

“What was that?” He hung his arms around her, his distress diminished.

“To start everything, we women are people, and we like sex just as much as you." And now… Right at the start, when she turned around and saw you, for a second, her eyes widened, her smile widened, and she sucked in breath.” Eventide was pressing against the stallion. Her fingers were rubbing their circles around his broad shoulders.

“What does that mean?"

She kissed him, trailing her tongue along his lips and running her hands down his back. Holding his waist, she answered,   
“It means she likes you.”

“She can’t.”

“Trust me, Gleaming, okay. I’ve been around enough to know when a woman likes a man, and that one, on some level, wanted to look good to you. She’s attracted to you. She likes you.”

“That can’t be right; I’m so deep in the friendzone my sister says we’re two BFF’s.”  
Velour laughed again, “What would your little sis know about that, anyway?”

“Nothing, I guess, Eventide.”

“That’s right. And I’m telling you that she’s attracted to you from what I can see, and hear from you that the liking is mutual. Hang in there; you’ll get her in the end.”

“But we’re just friends.”

Velour kissed him. “Sometimes, we have to kiss our friends. The important this is you tried. You’ll figure her out in the end and one day she’ll be yours.”

“I guess so,” conceded Shining, stroking the mare’s mane.

The mare sank to a squat. “Besides, since you did all that, I’m going to reward you, my brave gentlecolt. One day she’ll have you, but for now, you’re mine…”

Without saying another word, the mare loosened her prey’s trunks and pulled them down over his ass to reveal his cock. While slightly stiff already, it only took a few measured sucks and bobs to bring him up to hardness. Shining gasped, turned on beyond all belief. The contrast between the cool water and the warm mouth felt amazing, and the suction was just the thing to breathe life back into it after it had shrunk so small in its flooded prison. His hands immediately clasped onto his lover’s head, and he gently caressed it, feeling her nodding and bobbing up and down on his length.  
Eventide Velour was doing her best to suck his dick like a master. He was not exactly long – middling to short, so gagging wasn’t a concern, but he had plenty of girth which gave her ample real estate to play with. Pleasure immediately began to assail her recipient, evident by how his hands trembled ever so slightly atop her head. She laid her tongue against the underside of his dick and hummed with the whole length inside her mouth. He tensed in pleasure. This truly was a blowjob to remember. And the risk of being caught fired his adrenaline, making his heart pound even more than it would have normally. Eventide rubbed his balls gently, warming the generous sackfull with her soft palm, never stopping her ministrations and using her free arm to caress him up his front and around his back. She pulled him deeper into her face to engulf him down to the base.

This really turned on Shining Armor. Unbidden, the pleasure caused his hips to give a slight jerk. His caresses became more forceful, stroking now with both hands from the top her head and down her back, feeling her bobbing beneath her soft mane. He was rock hard now and feeling weak at the knees. He was in heaven now. His lover found a good rhythm and sucked him like mad, practically fucking him with her mouth.

His fingers found their way to the top of her upper bikini strap. He struggled a bit under the pleasure while he tried to unknot it – instinct demanded more of this mare. After a minute, the cords fell limp, and Velour, getting the message, untied the lower strings with one hand while her other descended to her pussy, now wet with more than just water, never skipping even a single beat as she sucked him from base to tip, lavishing swirling licks and gentle kisses on every part of his throbbing cock. She sped up, making even more lusty moans with her mouth. Shining didn’t know what she could have possibly been saying, but he didn’t care. He grabbed her harder and started directing her head, no longer content to just passively receive – he was going to make her suck him to his satisfaction!

Shining Armor felt his balls tighten and his pulse quicken as he felt the pleasure grow stronger. Looking down, he saw Eventide Velour wriggling with her own pleasure as she furiously worked her vulva. He tried to hold on, but it was rapidly becoming too intense. Her warm, luxurious tits were pressing into his thighs. He reached down and pulled her a bit up so he could have easier access. She rose to suck his cock bent over while he groped and caressed her tits happily, fondling her enticing orbs. His touches to her nipples sent ripples of pleasure through her, and the jolts transferred to his cock. Her moans were incessant now. He grabbed the sides of her head, now thrusting even as he controlled every bob and twitch of her head.

Pleasure spiked and he tensed up, only to speed his actions. “Velour, don’t stop, I’m gonna cum. Oh fuck.” His dick near jumped. It was electric. He fucked her face mercilessly, generating gluk-gluk noises from the mare. “Eventide, oh shit. Don’t stop. Don’t stop. I’m gonna cum, gonna cum, gonna cum.” A massive jolt of pleasure tore through him as he blasted past the point of no return. “Oh, Vel!” He bucked his hips one last time into her magnificent mouth as climax overtook him and he emptied his balls into her. His hips trembled uncontrollably in pleasure, his arms forcing her down all the way, making her lick, slurp, and suck every last drop. She threw her arms around his ass to lock him in as well with him hunching over her, moaning in ecstasy, trying his best to not scream from the white hot bliss coursing through his genitals. Eventide Velour sucked his twitching, spurting dick dry, swallowing every single last jet of jizz to spew from the tip, cleaning him off with her expert lips and tongue. Her tongue found a sensitive spot on his underside and licked it ferociously, releasing a growl from his lips as he nearly fell, doubled over around her head.

When at last Shining Armor finished, Eventide released him with one last, thorough suck to get the last of his fluids, her belly now full of cum and her lust coming on in full flame. She gasped happily, seeing the overwhelmed lust and satisfaction in his eyes. He pulled his trunks back up in a near daze, beaming broadly at her and stroking her cheeks fondly. Before she kissed him, she discretely swished some water around in her mouth to get the jizz flavor out. She stood up smiling wicked, and with her bare breasts now pressing into his body, she kissed him before teasing, “So, what do you want to do now?”

\----------

They barely made it back to Velour’s incall, doing their best to refrain kissing and groping as if in heat the whole time. Once there, the clothes couldn’t’ve come off quickly enough. They seemed to more materialize spontaneously on the floor than be taken off by their wearers. They more tumbled than anything else onto the nearest bed, wrestling for dominance in a match neither would mind losing. They kissed, nibbled, and caressed each other. The mare’s hand found a steadily recovering cock, and the stallion’s hand found a pussy that was very warmed up.  
Adopting an ancient, instinctual mating posture, Eventide got on her hands and knees, offering herself to him.

“Take me.” It was a command every bit as irresistible as a royal decree.

“Just let me get covered,” said Shining, magically grabbing the box of condoms and pulling one out. He wasn’t hard yet and rubbed himself against her impressive ass. He guililty said, “I can’t get hard yet, sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it; you have hands and a tongue!” Oh yeah.

“Thanks; now I’m going to pay you back for what you did to me back behind the waterfall,” he grinned evilly. Shining had never tried it before, but he’d seen it in porn. He laid down on his back and shuffled between Eventide’s legs. Somehow her bikini bottom was still on, not that he cared. He pulled back the fabric and bravely lifted his face to her soaking snatch. And then he stuck out his tongue and started licking.

“Ooooohh!” Eventide Velour squealed, pleasantly surprised by the sudden pleasure. Shining didn’t know what he was doing – all he knew was that stallions did this to mares and mares really liked it. The initial taste and texture was like warm, sweaty snot, but he was too clouded in lust to care. He pressed his upper lips to her lower lips and kissed, and then stuck in his tongue. His mate quivered as he licked as voraciously as she had on his cock not even a half hour ago. Her cries rapidly escalated and her thighs closed around his head, locking him in place. She sat back on her haunches, taking her face as his throne and her mouth as her seat. Shining could barely breathe, but he was intoxicated by the effect he was having on this mare. Feminine peals flew from her lips and she began to shake. Her cunt grew only wetter. He felt himself get hard and he grabbed his stiff dick, jacking it off to appease his arousal. Then he tried bringing his tongue up to her clit. At the first brush and kiss, his escort’s entire body jolted. “YES YES!” Velour gasped aloud, grinding her mound at him. He ate her as best he could, as if consuming an erotic feast of her juices. Her groans and gasps grew ever louder. This was so unlike their very first session. The stallion dug in like an entrenching soldier. “Try a finger inside me – don’t stop."

Shining complied, bringing up a finger to fuck her while she rode his face. She was getting unsteady. In the dim light, he could see a faint mar in her flesh on her lower belly below her hips. He carried on, breathing in gasps when her hips allowed him the luxury of oxygen, doing his best to leave her just as breathless. Her pussy was so soaking wet. He was hard fit to bursting. Her primal screams intensified. Suddenly, his mare’s insides went from hot to blazing, and she writhed as if consumed in beautiful agony, wordless cries of bliss erupting from her mouth, her deep muscles quivering with a sudden swelling of fluids. After many seconds and additional operatic cries, she dismounted from him.  
“Did you cum?” She grabbed the condom and staggered over his dick.

“Fuck yeah,” she cheered before impaling herself on him, stiff facing away. He felt the heavenly warmth of her tight cunt engulf him as their bodies joined. She rocked her hips with great enthusiasm, bringing a world of pleasurable feelings to the young stallion, “I’ll have to rethink charging you if you can eat pussy like that. Now shut up and fuck me, Gleaming Shield.”

With a loud clap of skin on skin, he seized her pert ass and squeezed, rocking her body to his liking. Seeing her still partially wearing the bikini bottom, only slightly pulled down and yanked aside enhanced his arousal, conjuring the idea of her being so desperate to fuck she couldn’t even wait to get completely naked. Her cunt coiled around him like a warm, silky sleeve, immensely pleasurable even through the condom. If he were doing her raw, he bet he’d’ve cum the moment she took him. He focused his eyes on where here ass met his dick, visualizing all the delightful ways her insides were caressing his organ. He hilted inside her. Damn, she was so tight, especially the very opening of her pussy. The wetness drove him wild with desire; it was different from the coolness of water or the warm humidity of her mouth – her vaginal secretions were hot, slimy, and thick, and they seemed to magnify everything else her body was doing to him. The state of being all the way inside her elicited special sensations from his cock and a deep satisfaction from the primitive sector of his brain. Here was his mate, taking him fully inside, feeling so good, craving his body, seeking his pleasure, demanding his seed. He couldn’t believe he was this hard again, and so soon, but he wasn’t going to complain. He relished how his body cooperated to fulfil his instincts.

He bucked his hips at her, fucking up into her pussy. She pushed her hips back at him in a sort of dancing motion, somehow always anticipating where he was going to thrust next so she could meet him perfectly and rock her body just so that she could always savor letting part of his dick run along one of her walls, eliciting much the same pleasure at her tongue, but in multiple places all at once. She leaned forward, rocking her hips up and down, back and forth. He smacked her ass, bucking upwards to make her go faster. He heard the lewd noises of her wet insides sliding along his hard dick. The sensation wasn’t quite so intense now, now that she’d shifted from pressure to speed. Their rhythms converged as the pleasure in their bodies continued to build.

Eventide brought a hand to her pussy and started fingering herself. She felt her client remaining rock hard despite showing fewer obvious signs of pleasure – round two was looking good and maybe she’d even get a second load out of him. Maybe she’d even get to cum again, and this time with a cock inside her, too? The thought excited her in that ancient, female part of her being. A stray thought whispered in her ear to remove the condom and truly unite her body with his. A more intellectual part of her brain disagreed, citing facts like the nature of their relationship, her extreme promiscuity, and the risk of diseases on both ends, not to mention how the rubber was definitely going to add to her pleasure by helping him last longer. There was something else, too, warning that getting her cunt flooded by his sperm was wrong on a deeper level; too intimate, perhaps.

Eventide Velour caressed her cunt starting from where the stallion’s cock penetrated her folds to the top of its arch, and then around her fully erect clitoris. Her hips immediately quivered at the first touches to her clit. She knew that she was soaking wet on the inside with how rapidly and smoothly Gleaming Shield was sliding in and out of her. He was hilting about as deep as was comfortable for her. His short, girthy cock meant she got plenty of sensation without being pummeled internally, allowing her to fuck him with abandon. She let her cries fly from her throat, singing to her mate her enjoyment.

Shiny moved his hands to the escort’s hips. The older mare responded by going from squat riding to rocking. The switch back from rubbing to pressure felt fantastic. She was touching herself with him inside her, and the added theatrics only served to elevate the experience. This was the greatest feeling of his life! Even Cadance couldn’t compare to this! What if she could? What if she could somehow be even better? Finding out would well be worth the risk of it could end up like this. And as things were going, the young stallion had no doubt that he was going to end up an incoherent mass of pleasured jelly. He felt how hard he was, how the silky confines of his lover’s pussy stayed drenched and hot as they caressed him, sending waves upon waves of escalating pleasure running along his cock. There was no doubt in his mind he was going to end up cumming again, this time balls deep in her pussy.

Carnal delights built up in Eventide’s lower body. She was beginning to notice her whole body throbbing and trembling, starting from her hips and dispersing all over to what would finally culminate in an orgasm. She leaned back to enjoy the cock better and give him access to her breasts. To her delight, he took them in his hands and started kneading. While kissing and licking felt better, this was fine, too, especially when coupled with what was going on lower down. Fire and electricity run up and down her spine. A nice tension was building in her lower tummy. A craving was between her legs, calling for her to be filled. The slapping noise of his balls on her mound had ceased as his scrotum tightened corresponding to his own growing pleasure. A tingling heat suffused her, and she embraced it, moaning even louder in pleasure. Her ecstasy was growing with every thrust of his hips and every rock of hers. Every touch around her clitoris and every brush on her breasts brought her closer to thundering heights of mortal pleasure. She sped up, her mouth hanging open to let out animalistic cries.

The stallion felt like his cock was going to explode. It was all so good. Spurred on by the mare’s pleasured peals, he took one hand from her chest and brought it low. There, it joined her in teasing the little nub. He felt his cock surging in and out through her skin. He was fucking her like a beast and he couldn’t stop himself. He felt like his heart was going to give out, but he couldn’t do anything but continue to plow her pussy as hard as he possibly could. She was twitching around him. Bolt of delight darted across his neurons. He could hardly speak, but he had to let her know he couldn’t last much longer. A strange desire, an attraction and a longing, begged to be given wings with his voice, but he fought it back. Instead, he choked out, “Eventide, I’m gonna cum soon. You feel so good.”

“Me too – don’t stop -- Gleaming – I want -- you to cum inside me.”

Their hands and hips moved together. Eventide occupying one breast, Shining the other, and both of them working away at her pussy and clit together, bodies in perfect harmony. A trembling thunder was brewing in the mare’s core while the stallion swore he felt the cum boiling in his balls. The tension of their union was almost unbearable, agonizing in its pleasure.

“Eventide Velour, oh-”

“Gleaming shield!”

“I-!”

“Cum inside me!”

“FUCK!”

“MMHMHMHMHMMHMHMMM!!!!”

Climax overwhelmed them together. They clung to each other, their bodies wracked with overwhelming pleasure, each of them cumming – Velour cumming around her stallion while his cock erupted deep within her – Shining cumming inside his mare while her pussy spasmed and soaked all around him. Time lost all meaning and they forgot where they were and who they were, brains awash in orgasmic bliss. He emptied himself into her, spurt after spurt of his richest semen, packed with sperm. She lost control atop him, quake after tremoring quake of her superheated, impossibly wet cunt begging his cock to give her what her body craved, caressing every point on his dick as much as possible to stimulate him to spill even more into her insides. His hips locked him in deep, making him tremble. Her hips shook around wildly to milk him dry. Neither could consciously control their body in this mating frenzy.

For just a moment, sparks flashed. Eventide’s mane flashed different colors. Purple and white in equivalent bands. Her eyes widened. Something registered behind her eyes. She took a look down between her legs, where her partner’s flesh joined hers. A strange hesitancy met her upon sight of the coat and cutie mark, but then the magic flashed back over and she rode him with abandon, reclaimed again by her consuming madness.

Sweaty, smiling, gasping, and barely conscious, they endured their orgasms, gradually coming down after a blissful, excruciatingly sensitive minute of fantastic heaven. Shining Armor sighed and went limp. Eventide Velour fell off his softening, leaking cock to land beside him. They kissed deeply, sighing and caressing.

“Woooooooooooowwwwww…” Shining Armor exhaled.

“The best ever?”

“Even better.”

“Good.”

“If you do me any better, I’ll die, Eventide.”

“Not if you kill me first, Gleaming.” They stayed that way a long time, just feeling simply content and right with each other, completely comfortable and trusting.

“Say,” he asked after a long while of nothing but snuggles and hummed noises, “what’s with that scar on your hips; I noticed it while eating you out.”

“I’m surprised you noticed it at all, given how hungry you were. Don’t worry about it; the relic of another life... back when I was a simple mare of Mustangia, far from the daze of Canterlot...” She was suddenly guarded. He let it slide. A short silence. “Was that your first time eating out a lady?"

“Yeah…”

“You’re pretty good. I normally don’t cum like that, but maybe because I was really turned on or you really get me, but that was fantastic, plenty of attention to the clit – lots of guys don’t do that an try to blowjob the pussy.”

“Thanks,” blushed Shiny.

“How did I taste?”

He made a face. “Not my favorite, I guess…” Shining admitted

“Don’t worry; tons of guys don’t like it much. I can’t wait to have you all trained up on how to please a mare – you’re going to be so good I might just end up marrying you to have you all to myself.” They both giggled and kissed.  
Eventually, a ringtone went off.   
“Time to go?” Shining asked dejectedly, though with a truly enormous smile still on his face.

“Sadly…” Eventide didn’t sound any happier about it. She put on a smile. “Let’s get you cleaned up so you’re fresh and on your way, alright.”

“Okay,” he agreed, kissing her on the breasts and lips.

“You’re affectionate,” she laughed in that familiar way.

“I can’t help it – not after a date like at the water park followed by you fucking my brains out like this.”  
She only laughed again and led him into the bathroom. They showered together, taking plenty of time to kiss and caress. He rubbed against her and she ground against him. If both of them weren’t completely spent, odds were they would have gone for another round, but, unfortunately, physiology and time conspired against them.

“Say, Gleaming, I’d like to know more about you.”

“Oh?” His ears perked up. “Why? In what way?”

“Just’d like to know where you’re from and all, silly.”

“Oh, that,” he said with a sigh. “I’m just a boring old unicorn from Canterlot. There’s nothing special about me, really, Eventide. What made you ask?”

Eventide Velour giggled, “I just like to know my clients is all; now we’ve been together a few times, I just thought I’d like to know my recurring stallion friend more. You’re a little bit more than a paycheck and full condom at this point.”

“Sounds fair. So, where are you from, Madam Eventide Velour?”

The mare of the night paused for a second. “Mustangia. I ain’t nothing much; just a rowdy mare from Mustangia.”

“What drew you to Canterlot?”

“The country life was boring as all heck, Gleaming. I wanted more…” Eventide purred, “I wanted some… excitement…”

“Sounds fair.”

Soon, they were both fully clothed and standing by the door. She kissed him deeply. He reciprocated while grabbing her face with both hands. “Visit again soon, Gleaming.”

“Absolutely, my lady,” beamed Shining. They kissed again and she opened the door. He stepped out with his stuff and she closed it behind him.

To say that Shining Armor walked home would not be entirely accurate. He more accurately returned home with a combination of a hop, skip, and a jump when he wasn’t just floating down the street. When he got home, he opened the   
door to see a welcome face.

\----------

Madam Eventide Velour stepped into a hot, steaming shower. She felt the water wash over her. She gave a happy sigh. She slid off the bikini bottom. Finally, she was totally nude – she was totally free at finally long last.  
She was humming. She had just had a splendid long date over many hours with a dream client. He was hot. He was willing to spend. He was sweet. He fucked like a pro, thanks to her instruction and tutelage, of course. He made sure she enjoyed herself. He was young. She was skipping with glee – she’d gotten a brains rutted to the seventh planet and back by a prize piece of tail, and she’d been paid grandly for the privilege.  
So why was she uneasy?

Something was firing off in her mind.

For a moment, her magic had faltered. Her cosmetic magic was more than skin deep; it went into the brain, as the mind and body were as linked as earth and sky. It MADE her Madam Eventide Velour. Her mate seemed... familiar...?  
That color. That voice. Oh, GOD, she had to be hallucinating. Just running the numbers, it was too unlikely...  
No matter, the escort rationalized away with a scrub of soap. She washed herself thoroughly, cleansing herself of all the lascivious touches her client had spent the previous hours giving her. She gave herself a very good scrubbing. How nice to finally be free with her own skin again!

When the mare of the nigh was done, she stepped out. Was sure sure to tie up the used condom and dispose of it in the trash, of course sandwiching it with other layers of rubbish -- she didn't want to the staff noticing and whispering. Lastly, she took off her magical disguise. Hah, that was the best; she was herself again.

\----------

“Twiley!”

“BBBFF,” she greeted back, hugging him. He enjoyed her touch. But over her shoulder, he saw a familiar pink alicorn. Crap.

“Hey, Cadance,” he said.

“Hey, Shining.” He sincerely prayed that she would keep her mouth shut, at least about his date.

“You just get here?”

“No,” she said, flipping her ponytail hair over her shoulder. “I was supposed to watch Twiley after school until somepony came home.” Was that a barb? “Now you’re here, I’m free to go.”

“But can’t you stay, pleaaaaseee?” Twilight Sparkle begged.

Cadance bent down to the unicorn filly’s level. “Sorry, Twilight, but I’m really busy. I only came today because your mom said she was going to be late and needed someone to watch you for a bit.”

“But you’re always busy,” Twilight pouted in a manner not dissimilar to her big brother’s way to play whining at their mother.

“I know, I’m sorry, Tell you what, I’ll take you to the park on this upcoming Saturday.”

“Yay!” Twilight cheered, hugging her best foalsitter. They said their goodbyes, and like that, Cadance was gone out the door. Crisis averted.

“Have a good day, Twiley?”

“Yeah. Today in Celestia’s Stellar Summer School for Special Fillies, Moondancer tried to electrolyze water, but she did the thing backwards, so instead of electrolysis using electricity and water to make hydrogen and oxygen, we instead got electrified hydrogen peroxide.” Shiny made a face.

“Nopony got hurt, though. What did you do, Shiny?”

Shining armor rubbed his neck uncomfortably. He didn’t have to watch his body language too carefully around little sister, oblivious as she was. “I went swimming.”

“Where’s your towel, then?”

Crap. Shining realized now the reason he’d been so light since leaving the water park. “I didn’t bring one.”

“Okay. I’m going to read. Oh, and mom says it’s laundry tonight.” And with that, Twilight headed upstairs, leaving Shining Armor in peace.

Shining Armor made his own way up to his room and got on his computer. After composing a very happy thank you email to Madam Eventide Velour, he looked up various causes of scars. To his intrigue, the ones that matched the one he’d seen on Velour earlier were caesarian scars from surgical childbirth. No wonder she was touchy. Heh, motherfucker. Somewhere, there was somebody to whom he could honestly say he was banging their mom.

Shiny played around on his computer, forgetting to take care of the laundry. The front door open and shut. Twilight Velvet’s voice came, “Shiny, have you done the laundry?”

Darnit; he’d forgotten. “No, sorry, mom, I forgot.”

“Well, stop forgetting and get going.”

“Yes, mom.” He brought down the full laundry baskets from upstairs. He saw his mother standing in the atrium. She threw some items into the basket. “Get these done, too, please.”

“Sure thing, mom.”

The colt brought the baskets down into the basement and then the laundry room. He had to take care on the stairs to avoid falling down painfully. Once he was down, the separated everything at first between whites and colors. And then into pure whites, impure whites, greys, light colors, dark colors, and heavy colored clothes. He noticed brown marks on the front of Twilight’s panties. He thought to have a talk with mom about it; she had been getting up to that sort of age… Dealing panties and bras was nothing new to Shining; it was just a part of life in a household which was functionally two thirds female most of the time. Nothing was out of the ordinary until he had just put in the first load, the pure whites, and then took at a look at the things his mother had handed him.

They were a blouse, a skirt, and an orange and black tiger striped bikini, just like from earlier.


	3. Red Wine, Silver Thighs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chance meeting in a park, friends say goodbye, a terrible truth is revealed between a bottle of wine and open thighs.

Twilight Velvet awoke with a yawn in the golden morning light. She stretched her feminine body, enjoying the softness of her luxurious, satin sheets and cotton blanket. This surely was the life. And on a weekend, she had naught to do but enjoy herself. Or did she? The mare groaned a bit, not wanting to leave the comfortable, plush palace of pillows in her linnels. Regardless, she had to do one critical thing before closing her eyes again. A quick brush under her nightstand brought the fine feeling of fresh bills to her fingertips.

The mare reached out and grabbed her cell phone. She hit the main button, getting a single text message. It read, "So are we still on for today?"

Duty called. She texted back, "Eeyup. See you there, Baby. ;)". She yawned and stretched again. She had to get moving. But first... Velvet felt that familiar stirring urge from between her legs. Time to take care of some things that definitely should cum first.

Velvet took one hand down to her breasts and the other between her legs. She groped her soft, feminine flesh. While she didn't have a thing for other mares whatsoever, she did enjoy the feel of female flesh. But what really got her wet was the thought of being taken by a stallion. Yes! Her fingers traced around her breast and opening. That felt nice. Then she imagined one of her many stallions taking her. He would start out kissing her, lightly at first, but soon growing stronger and more forceful. Oh no, a hunk like him taking interest in an aging mare like her? But her husband, her kids, and he still wanted her...A male with the choice of dozens of other potential mates, and he craved her body above all others. Ah yes, the intoxication of being wanted. She imagined him just one of the hundreds of hims moving hands down her back, from her shoulders to her hips, and then squeezing her ass. It had been tighter, but she'd definitely not had the same curves then.

She felt the moisture on her fingertips as her body awoke in earnest. She slipped a finger inside. She imagined him groping her, tasting her flesh with his touch before the main event. The first rustles of pleasure came to her. She ran a digit around the base of her clit, causing her to shiver happily. His hands exposed her breasts. So naughty, having them out just like that, but before she could protest, they were both in strong hands. She brought her hand north to see to her second breast while keeping it going lower down by squeezing her thighs together. She lifted a mammary to her face and then kissed, suckled. Oh, how frisky her partner was getting. She let out a small, involuntary gasp. The memories were only half remembered, as if someone else had lived them, another mind even, but they were still so vivid. Then, the strong hands softened on her breasts as instead her illusive stallion laid down a trail of kisses from the crevice between them, down to her ribs, down to her tummy, down to her navel, and then even lower. Both her hands went south. To her mind came her husband, not her only lover, but by far her favorite. His blue coat, his dark mane, and his gentle surface demeanor, which masked a core of much sterner stuff, a stallion so understanding and so kind -- a stallion who could make her scream with passion, ecstasy, and consternation with no more effort than how she could make him stammer with a wink of her eyes and a wiggle of her hips.

She panted in anticipation. Hands parted her thighs, and there she was, vulnerable, her vulva oozing and aching for what was next to come. She imagined and remembered his kisses, strong and relishing, upon her labia. As her fingers retraced its route and pressure, the remembered sensation of a tongue around her clit came to mind, giving her a small quake of enjoyment. She touched herself, recalling that other her's rapturous enjoyment. As her heat and sensation grew, she felt a desire to have something inside her, to fill that void between her legs. An instinct urged her on. She massaged around the opening to her pussy, feeling it all hot and soaked. As she vigirously rubbed around her slit, writing around her sensitive clit in delicate cursive, she heard the faint sounds of her juices and smelt the aroma of her own arousal. If a real stallion were with her, she'd be begging him to take her before she lost control and pounced him like a manticore. She was offering herself to him, her favorite and only lifelong mate. She was ready.

The anticipation was nearly driving her mad. Three fingers entered her. She adjusted her hips to the intrusion and they went in. She could only just imagine her mate's face giving that delighted relieved feeling as their bodies joined, followed by realizing the overwhelming pleasure she was giving him. She closed her lower legs to hold him inside her, feel him close. Both her hands went to work down below. One was fucking her cunt, the other was playing her clit like a fiddle. The two of them together were going to make her sing like an angel. Oh how he could make her sing such sweet, high, pure peals. Nobody else but him could quite get her to those heavenly high notes, oh but how a select few of them could come close.

Twilight Velvet rocked her body as if she were making love in earnest. She matched her hands' rhythm with the rhythm of her hips. Oh this was good; this was what she craved! The fire from her youth had never gone out. There was no shame, only pure enjoyment. The pleasure rose as both a tingling in her front and a pressure building within. She imagined her dream mates, remembered them, too, and how they felt hilting in her. So full! How they could change their angle and rhythms to give different feelings. Deep and slow, shallow and fast. Center tunnel or on a wall. She couldn't wait to get laid again for real just for the love of it and a stallion and nothing else. The pleasure was spiking. One name alone came to her tongue -- she redoubled her resolve to hit her peak.

All five fingers on one hand plunged into her cunt as she fucked herself. Her three middle fingers on the other tweaked and strummed around her clit like made. That greatest warmth blossomed within her. More cries rose unbidden from her open red-lipped mouth. The mare trembled. She basked, teetering on the edge. She imagined her mate, kissing her breasts, touching her, pinning her as she read the increasing pleasure on his own features. She imagined him whispering her name with increasing ecstasy. She spread her legs all the way, beckoning him to hilt in her, to fully indulge in her body. He would have been shuddering, rippled muscles defined, masculine musk hanging heavy off him. His face tensing... A look of such perfect and complete love was on him. He was smiling and caressing her face, kissing her lips and stroking her hair, even as his body crept towards haywire. And then, three critical words.

"I'm gonna cum!"

She only had time to squeal out her response to what he would have told her.

"Yes, Night Light, cum inside me!"

Velvet cried out, her body plunged with abandon into orgasm. Climax gripped her as her hips rocked and she let loose gasps and grunts, high pitched and pure. White bliss flooded her nerves. A rush of fluids greeted her fingers. Her lower body shook. Her dream mate was over her, balls deep, moaning nothings and her name as he spilled spurt after spurt of seed into her nethers. She'd throw her legs around him to trap him inside and milk him for everything he had! Powerful stallion and gentle mare joined together most excellently and naturally. Sensitive, she kept the pleasure going. She wasn't done yet! She milked with her hips in a horizontally twitching dance, holding her palm rigid against her throbbing clit, just using the rocking of her body to send tingles of carnal static across her nervous system. She breathed hard, her heart pounding at this peak of mortal pleasure. She let out more nameless cries of ecstasy, imagining her husband staying deep and moving throughout, giving her special feelings from the inside.

And then she was done, lying happily on her back, sweaty and flushed. After several minutes, she stood and went to shower, still naked.

The warm water massaged her flesh, refreshing it after that fiery orgasm. She didn't have long to waste, however, and so, in a few minutes, she was soaped, shampooed, and dried. Now she had to get moving to her date. She got dressed and gathered her things. She decided to wait until she was there to administer the spells. She looked at the name in her texts again. Fletched Arrow... That one seemed familiar. And he seemed like a young, inexperienced stallion. Never mind that; so long as he was a nice paying gentlecolt, Madam would have it all under control like magic.

________________________________________

Not quite yet an hour later, a mare found herself stepping out of a shower again. She closed her eyes and lit up her horn.

There she was in her room. Well, not quite a room as a civilian may think of it, but more in the way that somebody in the business would think of it as the war room, or jokingly, the whore room. She reopened her eyes, seeing her cascading pink and yellow mane magically arranged into a perfect seductive arrangement, neither too ornate to mess up during the more spirited parts of work, nor too casual to suggest he had just happened upon her being lazy. The art of the performance lay in giving the illusion of greater effort and care than their really was without making it clear that it was all a practiced routine. It was like something gilded.

Madam Eventide Velour checked her watch. Twenty minutes to contact. She checked everything again, giving it all just another one once over, just to be sure. This was her performance and she had to be on point for it. Room white glove inspection level clean? Check. All her things hidden where he wouldn't see them? Check. Condoms and extra lube right by the bed but a bit out of sight? Check. Her hair and dress perfect? Check. Her magical glamour perfect? Check. her smile exactly on point? Check. Her silicone lube already applied intimately to make sure she was already "wet" for him? Check. All good. Now she had to check her phone again. Not even 10 minutes to contact! The jitters were real; strange, she had definitely done thousands of encounters by now, but this somehow always made her really nervous. A thought went to her client; poor guy was walking headlong into a professional predator seual like her.

A message came in. "Here! Where's the room?"

"Room 762, Babe. I'm waiting for you. Just knock :]" She hit send, then she mentally rehearsed what she had gotten out of him. He was 18, a pegasus, about to be nestmates, a 3'rd base virgin, and just wanted to be shown the ropes. He had booked her for two hours of GFE and a tutorial in basic lovemaking. That seemed to be popular of late.... She tried to remember any special requests. Other than being really gentle and patient, none. To that end, she had decided to wear a slightly too short cocktail dress over lacey, sheer black bra and panties with a pair of very thin stockings. She ran the plan over again in her head. Greet him when he knocked, kiss him lightly, send him into the bathroom while she took inventory of his donation, set the music going to time the encounter, and then sit him down on the couch with her to make him comfortable while she figured out how to ply her craft on him.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

She got up and answered the door. A tall, lanky, sienna-colored pegasus stallion was there with a nervous laugh. "Hi," he said, coming in after her beckon.

She kissed him lightly on the lips. "Hi yourself, Arrow," she grinned, feeling something touching her hand. She felt the paper of an envelope and the weightiness of what was in it. Good colt. She looked up at him. Uh oh, he was looking at her as if she'd sprouted a second head.

"I'm sorry, but I swear I've met you before somewhere."

Flashes of something ran through her mind, but they were more like silhouettes behind a veil. She forced them out, covering with a smile and a hand on his chest. "Maybe you have, maybe you haven't, think of it as the mystery..." She neared him and purred, "Come on, freshen up a spell, I'll be waiting...." Her nod indicated the bathroom. He took the hint and she made her way to the couch to count the donation. Appeal to his maleness, overwhelm him with seduction if something threatens to go astray -- crisis averted. He was on the Madam's turf now, and was going to play her game by her rules; she'd already made sure of it. So far so good. She finished counting and poured out two small glasses of wine -- prosecco. This one was going to necessitate it.

________________________________________

Shining Armor panted as he jogged through the park. The sweat was coming off him hard and he was indeed struggling against the strain. He had been going just over a mile and a half, and then perhaps maybe some more. In his mind, he imagined how his drill sergeants in the near future would be calling cadence and driving him forward. He muttered and chanted under his breath, "One! Two! Left! Right! Three! Four! Left! Right! Five! Six! Left! Right! Seven! Eight! Left! Right! Nine! Ten! Left! Right! One! Two!" and so on. He found the stupid, monotonous rhythm made him work harder but helped him muscle through the run, feeling a progress as he found himself further along with each repetition of left and right. The stallion had always sucked at running, but at least he was sucking less at it now. He could not have done this much even last month; while he had never been a physical flop like Twiley, and had a small sports athletic career, he had never been that into fitness just for its own sake. He would frankly rather lift weights than run laps; weights gave muscles that were nice to look at, and didn't strand him miles from home with nothing to get him back but his already spent legs. However, the cardio was undeniably good for him, and he knew by now from talking to guards and reading books that being trim and just able to move quickly for long distances was far more important to good soldiery than having a high bench press, an idea that seemed corroborated by how most of the guards he'd seen off duty he had talked too had definined muscles, but they were generally trim and toned rather than any form of ripped. He looked trimmer, stood straighter, was less pudgy, and from what Madam Eventide Velour had told him during their most recent sessions, the added swagger and stamina was definitely not going amiss between the sheets, not that she'd needed to tell him with the way she could sing for him for minutes at a time, grabbing at him and squirming around his cock. He blushed a bit. She had even said last time that he was getting to be a favorite, and perhaps was going to get a VIP treatment from her. He had been grinning stupidly at the time, fresh from another great orgasm inside that heavenly cunt of hers, but even now, just the thought of being the favorite of a mare like that made him grin a bit like an idiot; he couldn't help it. Perhaps he ought to ask about that the next chance he got.

Shining Armor pressed on with his jog. He was doing well until he saw a pink shape. Then it paid him some mind. "Oh, Shiny, hi!" called the pink shape with a feminine voice.

Cursing internally, the white unicorn came to a stop. "Huh huh hi, Cadance," he panted, his cheeks reddening with more than just exertion's heat.

"Hi, Shining. Mind if I run with you?"

"Suit yourself," he said, resuming his exercise brusquely, eager to get away from the mare he had so embarrassed himself in front of the last time they had spoken. He went a little faster than he reckoned would be comfortable for her.

Not that he had too much paid attention, but the princess was wearing a tight sports bra and a pair of skintight yoga pants. Her outfit definitely gave a nice show for the male of the species. And if she had dared to say so herself, his outfit of a tight, sleeveless tank and short shorts definitely did the same for a female spectator. "So, what are you doing?"

"Training."

"For what?"

"The royal guard, Princess."

A flash went across her face. "Guard, you say?"

"Yeah."

"What service?"

"Don't know; infantry, maybe." He slowed down to converse more easily.

"That's cool. Why?"

"Oh, you know, family, country, honor, adventure, a paycheck..."

"Have you ever considered the ROC, Shining?"

"Roc?" Shining Armor asked, slowing down even more to a gentle gait. "Isn't that a giant bird in the Everfree."

"Yes, too, but this one is the Royal Operations Concern."

"So a personal detail like the Blades of the Darkmoon or the Shade of the Revenant?"

"Not quite; those are special forces units in it, though," Cadance explained, "ROC is what the guardy royal guards, the ones who protect Canterlot and the princess, serve in."

"Oh," said Shiny, embarassed at himself. He got a daredevil grin. "Is your protection detail looking scant?" On reflex, both of them looked around. Surely enough, there were some ponies in suits and eyeglasses following them at a trot, clearly not appreciating the stiffness of their clothes.

"You could say so," Cadance giggled, slowing down yet more to a brisk walk. Her companion copied.

"Why tell me?"

"No reason," teased Cadance, pulling her water bottle from her fanny pack. She took a big gulp of water from her bottle. "Water?" Cadance proferred.

"No thanks," the stallion said back with a wave of his hand.

"Shining Armor, you can't exercise dry; dehydration and heat can really hurt you." She fixed him with what he could only describe as an adorable glare. He caved and drank more water than he cared to admit.

"Thanks." Shining was sheepish again. Cadance was now looking at him funny.

"Shiny, I..." Cadance stopped herself.

Shining gathered his courage. "What is it, Cadance?"

It was her turn to hide her gaze. "I- I feel like I should apologize for back at the water park last month."

The stallion's eyes expanded like blossoms. "Why? I asked you out and you said no." He couldn't help but intone embarassment, tension, bitterness, sadness, and incredulity into those words.

They had stopped running. They were now standing and talking.

"Because, Shiny, I well, uh, I didn't, er, mean to shut you out quite like that; you see, I rather, urm, like you..." Cadance stuttered. Shining's jaw pierced the ground to the mantle. The vibrations of a cesium atom stopped. The planet stopped spinning on its axis and flung them all into space. Someone punched Father Time right in the dick. The galaxy's spiral arm got put in a lock by a cosmic cop. Then. before Shining Armor could do anything to stop her, speak, move, think, or react, Cadance had pulled something from her pants pocket and given it to him. "Bye!" Cadance squeaked, her face transformed from pink to magenta. She ran away, galloping like a deer. Seconds later, winded security agents in suits ran by him, silent swears engraved on their faces.

"What the fuck?"

________________________________________

Shining Armor was walking on his way home, sweaty and tired, and still utterly bamboozled, when he heard two pairs of steps approaching from behind him rapidly. He turned around. "Sup, dude!" Fletched Arrow hailed him with an entire factory's worth of extra spring in his step.

"Oh, God, have mercy," he panted back jokingly. "First exercise, then the universe scrambles my brains, and now you two."

"Chill, bro," said Sprocket. "We're all going the same way." He frowned a bit at his friend. "What's crawled up your ass?"

"You guys aren't going to believe this..."

"Dis gon be good... " Arrow teased.

"Not that we ever believe you," said Sprocket.

Shiny said, " Good. Because I was doing my run and Princess Cadance decided to tag along."

"Nice going; didn't know you were going to abduct her; didin't think you had kidnapping in you," his pegasus friend laughed.

"I'm not you," Shining growled back. "Anyway, she gave me this," he said, producing her phone number.

Both his friends gawked. "Shit, dude. Shit."

"I know."

"You better call her," warned Sprocket, "or else I will."

"Or I'll drop you from a cloud."

"And I'll help! " The pegasus and earth friends laughed.

"So, did we tell you, or did we tell you, hero, that Cadance's little heart breaks into a precious special little cadence every time she sees you?" Shining rubbed his sweaty, flushed face with his hand, wiping away exasperation and perspiration in equal measure.

Fletched gave a snort growl at Spring. "We? I'm the one who told dear Shinespark she'd totally respond with 'fuck me now.'"

"No you didn't."

"Oh yeah, that was you; I wouldn't say anything so barbaric."

Shining Armor noticed that Fletched was definitely more highly strung today than ever. While normally energetic, he always more gave it off most of the time instead of radiating it like a second, badly behaved, acerbic, teenaged son. Something had happened. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he definitely knew something was afoot. His friend had no business being in such unapologetically high spirits, especially not with the rapidly approaching stress of having to become nestmates with Derpy Hooves. Scratch that, having to do anything within a four mile radius of Derpy would be enough to get his own fur to go from white to even whiter white. At least Cloud Kicker could definitely offset that, somewhat.

"So, Arrow, what's up? Why are you looking like you've gotten away with some special perverse crime against equinity?"

"Because, Shine, something amazing happened last night."

Shining wanted to joke back, to say something about his home village finally finding him and begging him to come back as their idiot, but the spirit wasn't there. Something indeed was eating his brain that day. "So, what did you do? Who did you do?"

"I lost my virginity!" Fletched Arrow cheered, flinging himself into the air and triple looping. Shining Armor wanted to ask if this was for real, but the fact that Sprocket Spring wasn't displaying the same incredulity, even feigned, told him instantly everything he needed to know plus probably more than a little bit of what he didn't.

"How?"

He beamed. "Remember how I told you guys I just knew I was going to be next to get with a mare? Well, it came true last night. So I was at this bar, and I see this really sweet chick. I've had a few, and I get the crazy idea to go over to her. Turns out she's from Mustangia, new in town, doesn't know a soul. So we really hit it off and I ended up in her hotel room."

"How was it?"

Fletched had to pause for a moment to collect himself, half flustered and half misty-eyed with reminiscence. "Y'know, I always thought pussy would feel like electric or something, or maybe hot or soft like that, but it really just felt wet."

"That's because it's slicked with the tears of a million million cells begging to not be touched by anything as ugly as your dick," Sprocket interjected.

The pegasus challenged back, "So it's always dry for you then, Boing?"

"Nope, Moultar the Miniscule, but since you know about going in dry, I take it you got her in the ass somehow, didn't you?"

"Guilty as charged!" wheezed Arrow, slapping himself on the thigh with laughter. "I'm such a pain in the ass."

"And it's officially now," quipped Spring. He laughed, Shining chuckled.

The latter added, "I bet that's what she said, too." This time, his smile was more natural. The thing chomping away at his brain was moved from his temporal lobe to his cerebellum, and was about to shoved off to the occipital lobe. "Anyway, aren't you supposed to be virgins when you get to nestmates?"

His two friends answered together, "How many times do we have to tell you? Only luckless,, stuck up, horny porny unicorns have to do all that saving themselves for marriage crap?

"We earth ponies do it naturally; if you're old enough, nopony has any objections, and somepony or some herd likes you, you'll get yours before too long."

"And we pegasi don't mind learning stuff in advance, so long as nopony gets hurt or pregnant, and it's not with another pegasus." There was no denying that boning between the different races of ponies was extremely common. What were uncommon, however, were intertribal marriages. Pegasi alone could fly and generally hated being confined to the ground, which made most not like the prospect of having to live either grounded for an earther or unicorn, or needing to constantly worry about a unicorn spouse's cloudwalking spell wearing off. Earth ponies were the strongest, and while generally in great health and condition, not to mention their famously great stamina and cravings for activity in and out of bed, their cultural trend towards herds almost always alienated unicorns from considering them seriously as romantic partners, and their love of the ground posed naturally barriers to pegasi, and their children would neither be as strong nor aerobatic. And unicorns loved their magic and intellects, as well as their place as an unofficial presteige class, with most nobles and gentry being unicorns, not to mention the weakening of magic when bred with earth ponies, and the fifty-fifty shot that any foals born from a union with a pegasus with only ever express one side of their heritage, and more weakly, sadly, instead of producing an alicorn.

Shining raised an eyebrow. "Why can you do it, just not with other pegasi?"

"Because lineage is really important in the Flock. We don't really mind just doing it, so long as everypony knows whose fucknuggets come out of which mare at the end. Our communities tend to be pretty tight, so we like to make sure nopony's getting too close for genetic comfort. That and having foals already by the time nestmates comes around really just doesn't mesh well with our culture, or inheritance laws. Unlike filthy earth pony herd commune free for alls, the Flock is the old Pegasopolis regiment system, just modified for families. And unlucky stuffy unicorn family trees, we trust each other to not need a license to avoid fucking somepony they shouldn't. And speaking of degenerate heathens, how's it going with Cheerilee, bro?"

"Great. She's got bout a decade on me, maybe a little less, or maybe more-"

"Eeewwwwwww!" cried out Armor and Arrow.

"You'd be surprised -- never had a great one under twenty or a bad one over thirty."

"Dude, I'm from the tribe of Princess Platinum and love my matriarchy, but we gotta talk about your GILF thing, seriously."

Fletched Arrow sniggered at the unicorn's barb. "Shut up!" the yellow earth pony punched back lightly. "Anyhow, Cheerilee's the oldest; that makes her lead mare -- herding instincts and all. I met her maids, Aloe, Lotus, and Vera, plus their current stallion, Birch Bucket -- they're all hovering around my age; Birch's a tad younger than me by a year."

"And you've just realized what we've told you all along, that you're less straight than a changeling's tongue."

"Cheerilee's all for it. Birch, too."

"You must know how your way around meat and fish to pull that off," Arrow laughed, "so, what about the last three mares?"

Sprocket kicked at the ground, stirring up dust from the gravel. "That's just the thing; they each want a foal by Birch first before they take on any new stallions. Cheerilee doesn't really care; she's never wanted foals of her own, but the rest want foals but don't yet have money or time for them. "

"So make like a unicorn and pathologically avoid babymaking."

"They like you, right?"

"It's not that simple. They all like me, somehow, but their tradition says the oldest stallion of the herd gets breeding rights plus greater claim over the foals. So, you see, if I join them, I'll be the oldest stallion. If the mares aren't pregnant before then, I'll be listed as the father over Birch, and may even end up taking that away from them. And Cheerilee can't bring herself to force that on them. Anyway, she's the local schoolteacher, and the others are starting a day spa. She's got money, but not enough to support a whole herd for long, especially with foals, especially by herself. Aloe, Lotus, Vera, Birch, all have families with that background in their homeland of Sleipneighr, but they don't know if this exotic day spa idea is going to pan out in Ponyville. They're taking on some pretty serious loans and working some pretty grueling hours." His smile was much lesser now.

Shining remarked, "I see. So as much as they'd love to have you-"

"They did love having me." Fletched mimed vomiting alongside Shining's smirk.

"I was saying that they'd love to have you, but Cheerilee dropped the ball on letting you know everything and how some pretty serious culture stuff was going to get in the way; it wasn't like you were getting involved with some serious ponies like Apple family mares, right?"

"Yuppo."

"I thought my people were the ones to ruin everything with rules and traditions. Sorry, Boing."

Sprocket shook his head. "It's okay, Shine. I thought it was a lot less serious than it really is. It's not all bad, though."

"Don't tell me you've got them as a booty call," said Arrow.

"Even better -- she pointed me towards Lyra and Bonbon."

"Please, don't take up music and sweets just yet; there's still hope." Shining Armor grinned.

"They're a couple of mares looking for a stallion."

Arrow joked, "They could definitely not do worse."

"Anyway, while those four sort their shit out, they say I'm more than welcome to move in with those two and get a herd going."

"I swear on Commander Hurricane's glaive that if you scored yourself nightly threesomes without telling us this whole time..."

Sprocket strutted, taunting the pegasus. "Better douse me in glaivey then." Shining laughed.

Fletched Arrow muttered, "I'll get you after the nesting." The other two made internal notes to watch their backs for the next several weeks to avoid being hit with a prank to remember.

"So, anyway," began Sprocket Spring, "when're you three pidgeons laying an egg?"

"Two weeks."

"Two weeks!?" He and Shining turned to each other in shock. "We have to start gathering straw!"

"And newspapers."

"And lint!"

"And leaves."

"And grass!"

"And bits of string."

"Immediately!"

"Don't bother -- enough fluff falls out of your ears every day to make sure I never have to worry about that."

"Feeling nervous?"

"Not as scared as you joining the Royal Guard. Getting my cherry popped means that I don't worry about nesting night anymore."

"Poor Cloud Kicker, she's going to be sad she didn't get to buck your cherry like a nimbus."

"And Derpy isn't going to get to get a chance to introduce you to the wonders of the adult world and the ER in one fell swoop," Shining laughed.

"Speaking of the guard," said Arrow. "What do you think you're going to sign up for in your quest to endanger us all?" They passed over an amber and dun cobblestone bridge across a tiny artificial stream.

Shining Armor looked down. He felt that thing chomping at his brain reemerge from his medula and start towards his amygdala. "I was thinking infantry-"

"Take it from a lifelong member of the Flock -- you're a total POG."

"Shush. But then Cadance told me all about the ROC -- Royal Guards who guard royals."

"You don't say," Sprocket snarked, lolling his tongue out dopily.

Shiny continued unaffected, "She made it sound like that's where my talent could be. And the funny thing is, right after we finished talking -- we'd been slowed and then stopped for a while, her detail ran by looking winded as hell."

"Ah, the princess wants a gentlecolt who can keep up with her in more ways than one."

"Well, whatever advice she gave you," said Arrow, "definitely don't follow it; chicks hate it when guys listen. That's why Prince Blueblood constantly has two actual goddesses fussing over him."

"I've never listened to a mare in my life and now look at me, about to move to a strange town to be subjected to endless threesomes by a couple of cuties. And don't be a hero; chicks really don't dig heroes, especially not hunky ones who save their lives."

"Yeah, Shine, whatever you do, do not follow Cadance's advice, do not take the hint, and whatever you do, definitely do not give her the D."

"That would be a D-saster."

Shining Armor gave both his goons a good finger flick to the ears. That feeling of annoyance was back.

"Sorry!" squealed Sprocket.

"Aihe! Okay, I'll quit it," moaned Fletched Arrow.

Shiny's expression instantly softened. "Sproing, Moultar, sorry guys..."

"Don't worry about it," the former said.

"We deserved that punishment," grinned the feathered one. Nopony said anything else. After several minutes, he rustled his wings. "Anyway, I need to fly to work. Seeya!"

"Don't forget to flap this time!" ribbed Sprocket.

"Hey, that was only one time and I was six!"

"Still happened."

"Whatever." And with that, the sienna pegasus flew away, leaving the white unicorn and the yellow pony trudging together alone.

The path came to a fork. "Well, see you later, dude," said Sprocket Spring.

"Same, man, whenever that is..." replied Shining Armor, touching knuckles as the other walked away along the diverging way.

"Cheer up; from the way you're acting, you'd think I was the one who was volunteering to get shot at." That got a chuckle out of the both of them. The unicorn wanted to say something, to call after him, but he held it in. He just didn't want to say anything. And as his friend's steps faded away into nothingness, so too did his smile descend into a frown. Mares in sundresses... orange and black bands of color... pink and yellow... He just wanted to go home.

The rest of the walk sucked. His feet hurt, he got rocks in his shoe more than once, it got really hot, and things just weren't sitting right in his brain. In his boredom, he checked himself for his phone, only to realize he'd left it at home like a moron.

Shining Armor arrived back at home more than an hour later looking quite through the wringer. "Mom, Twiley, I'm home," he announced.

"Hi, BBBFF," Twilight sparkle chirped at him. "How're you today?"

"Just fine, thanks. You, Twiley?"

"I'm bored."

"Hi, Bored, I'm BBBFF." She groan laughed. "Anyway, where's mom?"

"Errands," his sister replied. "She said that you are in charge of laundry and dinner tonight, as well as taking care of me." Her expression remained bright-eyed, mischievous. His fell invisibly. Just a couple dozen paces' journey was the sanctuary of his room with its sedative of internet and the lotus of his messages with his special courtesan. He was still tired from running, his brain still spinning from Cadance, feeling it with the stuff happening to his friends, and really just wanted a second to himself. But mom wasn't there to entertain her, and Cadance was paradoxically regrettably and thankfully not there.

He grasped for a suggestion to get his LSBFF, Little Sister Best Friend Forever, or, depending on his mood, Little Sister Biggest Frustration Forever, veering towards the latter at that particular moment, off his back. "Uh, do homework?"

"School doesn't start again for another thirty-three days and I've already done all my summer school homework, and extra credit in advance by now." Of course she had, because Twiley must've hit her head on her first day of magic kindergarten and somehow ended up taking the "learning is fun" decoration on the wall a little too seriously, or maybe it was the "knowledge is power" one?

"Read a book?"

"But I've already read everything at least four times. I wanna do something."

Shining Armor was stumped. "Like what?"  
"I don't know; something fun, maybe something you could show me, BBBFF?"

BBBFF looked at LSBFF. LSBFF couldn't possibly read with her naive eyes the quiet storm threatening to break out in BBBFF. He looked around the room. There was the kitchen, in the cabinets of which were wax paper, cardboard tubes, glue, string, twine, markers, and popsicle sticks. An idea came to him in a flash. He begged his lower body to forgive him for denying it its promised scheduled break, but he had a duty to a dear little pony. "So, Twiley, have you ever flown a kite?"

"No..." She was drawing out her no -- she was curious, but something in the little whirring, hyperactive mass of carbon nanotube gears and superconducting fiberoptic wires she called a brain, was fixing to veto the idea. "But I don't see what's so fun about kites; isn't it just holding a piece of string?"

Shining quarterway grimmaced, but rescued it by turning it into a smirk. He was going to pretend it was aloof, mysterious and grown up -- that would get the little lavender braniac unicorn's attention. He saw her lean forward ever so slightly on the balls of her feet. He had her now. "Oh you'd think so. Buuuuut, what if I told you you could learn a little something about aerodynamics, a little field science?"

"Really?"

"Yeah." Maybe, just maybe she'd throw together a rhombus kite in ten seconds flat and be out the door to leave him in peace. A stallion could hope.

Without another word, she bolted upstairs. He'd gotten a split second glance of that manic flame in her eye. She was off to get a book, and it was going to come to them to build a technically and scientifically accurate kite to conduct rigorous, empirical experiments, and perhaps publish the results in a peer-reviewed scientific journal like she'd been threatening to do since she was six. He had half shelved his dreams of joining the Royal Guard to spend the next six months helping his sister with this, like he'd spent a huge chunk of his year as a freshman in high school when his sister got the bug for magical electromagnetism, when she returned with a surprisingly simple, think book, one with big, bright pictures on the cover. It was titled 45 Fast Home Science Experiments For Fun Fillies. Okay, this couldn't be too bad, hopefully. Then his little egghead hurtled into the supplies cabinet and began ferreting furiously for all the materials she could need to replicate whatever was in the book.

Shining took his chance to begin sneaking upstairs. One step, two steps, three steps... Armor knew from long years of experience just where and how to step to not make any creaks from the floorboards. "Where are you going, big brother!? You're going to teach me how to fly this thing, right?"

Her cute eyes met his. As much as he genuinely wanted to be doing not that, he couldn't deny his adorable little sister, no matter how bonkers she drove him. "Of course, little sis, just let me get some water..."

"Why would we need water?"

________________________________________

Getting water, grabbing his phone, cleaning dishes left in the sink, and advancing the laundry were done in not even 10 minutes, such as he was practiced to domestic duties. He didn't like looking at the dress, panties, and tiger striped swimsuit, however. Regardless, flying kites with Twilight had been a surprisingly fun experience, considering the circumstances. He couldn't believe it at first, but it really did seem like the filly had just wanted to do something outside, active, and enjoyable just for the sake of having fun instead of conducting rigorous experiments. Nevertheless, Twilight Sparkle was still Twilight Sparkle, and a tweenage filly at that. Shining Armor for the first time in his life understood why adults did their best to sit on benches and lean on trees while their offspring played in the park now, not that he got too much opportunity to do so, with Twiley still wanting to compare his technique to hers, not to mention getting frustrated that she couldn't quite run fast enough or lift high enough to reliably get the kite into the air. Fortunately, it wasn't anything that a little unicorn magic was unable to remedy. All in all, it turned out to be a good enough time that even helped keep his mind in more pleasant pastures. He even got a good sprinting workout from having to get the kite back up due to how often his sister kept crashing it. By the end, LSBFF was definitely firmly back on the Little Sister Best Friend Forever side of the spectrum. And for dinner, he decided to be a super cool, but more importantly, lazy BBBFF and just get them corndogs instead of cooking. And as a result, Twilight was happy as a breezy when they finally got back home after dark and as sleepy as an Ursa Minor, meaning she snuck away to bed quickly, finally granting the besieged big brother unicorn some reprieve.

Shining Armor sagged into bed, his legs and feet mutinous, his head not doing too much better. He checked his internet stuff. Nothing new. He took a quick look at the ROC. He had to admit it didn't sound too bad, at least from what the official channels were saying, though he considered he ought to try finding some veteran guards from that particular service to talk to before he went and signed his contract. There were some very good quirks; he could be stationed primarily in Canterlot, either in the city or the castle, while select guards got the great honor of protecting Princess Celestia herself. He noticed that it said nothing about Cadance for some reason, but there was a picture of her at a state function seated right next to Celestia. The benefits included having a cool job, good pay, getting to see the heart of the Equestrian state, traveling, extra pay for protection and function duties, getting a regular shift work schedule, overtime pay, getting extra special training in melee and unarmed and CQB fighting compared to a grunt, getting issued a kickass sword, wearing cool traditional armor, and not having to go out and rot in the wilderness, or be stuck out for months on deployments being shot at like regular infantry grunts. He knew of some of the rumors about princesses and guards. This brought him to thinking about Cadance's phone number and their interaction. His only thought was still to be utterly baffled. Still, he checked for messages from Velour. Nothing new. Escorts weren't supposed to bombard their clients with messages for myriad reasons. He was thinking of booking a new session with her. Having emptied his balls for her twice just the previous day, he didn't really feel the urge to now; he'd learned that it was ultimately more enjoyable and rewarding to let his libido accumulate so that he could let it out in one epic orgasm, ideally balls deep inside his courtesan. He'd gone from ten faps a week to wanking maybe just thrice. Then he remembered the laundry. Dang. He had been too worn to even take off his clothes beyond his socks. Even his phone was still in his pocket.

He got out of bed and made his way downstairs. He advanced the laundry again, pulling the underwears from the dryer and transferring the very last load from the washer: the bathing suits. He heard a door upstairs close and open. The lack of forewarning and thuds from heavy suitcases told him it wasn't his father. Instead, there was a familiar pattern of trundling up stairs and then returning back down roughly half a minute later. Continuing with his task, he held back from them -- he could have put them on the rack to dry in the slightly musty atmosphere, but he didn't feel like it, instead hurling the bikini and his trunks into the dryer and starting a round on strong.

When he emerged from their cramped basement, he first heard the sound of fast, somewhat emotionally reserved yet terse and brusque talking. Then he saw the flickering of the blue-white light. Then he saw his mother, lounging on the couch, wearing just her pearly silk bathrobe, watching some kind of movie in black in white. On the coffee table was a bottle of malbec, and one glass three quarters full. He didn't know what possessed him, other than some simple courtesy, but he greeted her. "Hi, Mom."

"Hi, Shiny." He just stood here.

He wasn't going anywhere and had to say something. He'd been staring for at least two minutes and Twilight Velvet had just turned her head back around to catch him exact as she'd left him. "What's the movie called?"

"Chimeratown."

"Mind if I watch?"

"Sure," she beckoned. "Want some wine?"

"What would dad say?"

"Bad boy, you're too young to drink so lightly. And you, mare, what do you think you're doing corrupting Equestria's youth?" They both chuckled.

"Well, glasses are over there, kiddo..." Shining grimaced, pulling himself away from where he was about to sit to go get himself a wine glass from the cabinet. Dad would adamantly not let him touch alcohol away from a meal or celebration, but he didn't have to know his wife and son were having fun. He returned triumphant, plonking down next to her. He took a big gulp of wine. He was soon catching up to the end of his first glass, making up for her lead.

"How was your day?"

"Fine. Yours?"

"Fine. I did some running, met some ponies, came back here, did some chores, played with Twiley, did some more chores, now I'm here."

"Been running all day, too. Work called early, then I had lunch with some friends before I had to go run errands, and now I'm back here."

They just sat together, semi watching the movie for a good half hour at least.

The son refilled the wine glasses. "By the way, you can put bathing suits in the dryer, right?"

"Either gently, or just hang'em."

"Mmmhm. Thought so. I've never seen that bikini before. Is it yours?" He lied.

"No, it's another mare's, but it would fit me quite nicely."

In the movie, the plot was growing thicker. Someone had been murdered, and things were looking increasingly shady around the femme fatale and her father. The hero was penetrating deeper, though. The truth would be revealed and the best was yet to come.

One of the characters was in the Royal Guard. Both their glasses were running low again. This got Twilight Velvet to ask, "Any idea what you're going to do in the guard?"

"I was thinking of going to do infantry, but I had a talk with Cadance today."

"Cadance?" Mrs. Sparkle's body went 'ears open! eyeballs, click!' instantly.

"Yes."

"What did she say?"

Shining considered his next words carefully so as to preclude and omit awkwardness. "She told me that I I should consider going into the Royal Operations Concern."

"So you wanna be a ROC star now?"

"Mom, please, no puns; not after what Moultar and Boing subjected me to today."

"Don’t wanna be a ROC star, get your game on, go play? My poor baby," laughed Twilight, a slight flush appearing on her face as she patted him on the head without adjusting her seating one iota. She killed the rest of her glass and refilled it a hair beyond halfway before giving her son's crystal chalice a full replenishment. For this, she did have to move and lean a bit, ending up a bit closer to him than before. She was not doing a great job of keeping her robe as closed as it could be.

Shining continued, flustered, "Anyway, from what I've gathered, it's a pretty good job. I get to live either in cities or royal caravans, I get to serve royalty directly, meet important ponies. It's easier and less dangerous than infantry, and it sounds like they may be in more urgent need of recruits for it than they let on." He took three sips of wine. It was starting to affect him for sure.

"Good."

Silence again. With a topped up glass, Shiny attempted to drink again, only to spill some down his front, staining his teeshirt and shorts with red wine. "Damnit," he grumbled, taking his shirt off. His mother looked at him as he was about to take off his shorts, too, just out of habit so he could get them ready for immediate remedial laundering. She shrugged, as if to say it wasn't something that she hadn't seen perhaps thousands of times in her life -- a male of her family in his boxer shorts. He took out his phone and put it on the table and then removed his shorts. Now he was down to his skivvies. He ran downstairs quickly with the dirty items and through them into the laundry, starting it immediately before the got stained too badly. He returned and they drank for a while more to the sounds of silence and the movie.

"So, what about your friends?"

"The usual. Everypony's wrapped up in their lives -- their foals, their husbands, their neighbors, their affairs."

His ears pricked up. "Affairs meaning...?"

"Jobs, things they do... So, what's new with yours?"

"Friends? Well, I told you that Fletched Arrow was about to get nestmated with Derpy and Cloud kicker. He was pretty nervous at the prospect of having to please two mares, but he says he met a very special mare last night and doesn't worry quite so much now."

"Oh did he now...?" Velvet gave him a quick up and down sweep before gulping down an alarming chunk of her glass, which she against bolstered from the dwindling bottle of red wine. She made sure that the hem of her robe was better tucked between her thighs, because she was now watching Shiny more than the movie, and he the same.

"And I got an update on Sprocket Spring and the Ponyville mares. He visited this last weekend, had a great time." Velvet licked her lips. "But they're calling it off."

"How come?"

"Because Cheerilee doesn't care to become a mother, but the other mares and the stallion in their herd do. They're also starting a business right now and are short on money and time. And if he joined the herd, he'd be the oldest stallion, making him the stud, so he'd have breeding rights over the entire herd before Birch Bucket gets a shot. The thing is that Birch wants to be a father and Aloe, Lotus, and Vera all want him to sire with them.

"So him getting involved would add stress, not to mention complications."  
"That's exactly what I said, Mom."  
"That's what he said!" the tipsy mare whipped out, suddenly thrusting her wine high, sending some of it sloshing out. It was not hard at all for even the world's most casual observer to know exactly from whom Shining Armor had gotten his sense of humor. "Who's head mare?"  
"Cheerilee."  
"So why doesn't she use her position to just bring him in anyway if it's really her herd and they don't hate him?"  
"Because it'd be four on one with the one ultimately making the call, and at best four on two once he was in. Not to mention she doesn't want to subject her herd to that kind of hardship just on her whim. Maybe they'll invite him in once they're stable and have foals, but until then, he's been set up with a couple of mares also living in town."

"Good for them. Good for him. Gotta say earth pony customs are weird -- go ahead, fuck anypony you want, but you can't marry. and the oldest swaying manes of the bunch get the final say and first pickings in darn everything. Twangs of a musical Mustangia accent came out unmistakably. Shining Armor shifted uncomfortably, thinking of another mare with whom he had shared wine. "I gotta say, we unicorns have it figured out best. One stallion, one mare, together, in marriage, joined by love until death, or lawyers, do them part. No confusion over who goes to what house or lineage, no issues with breeding priority, no head mares or stud stallions, nor parents picking nestmates or awkward breakfasts after all the brothers and sisters hear each other going at it all night, an nor do ya have to worry about the feathers of who you're fluffing in the flock, just civil unity. And best of all, family proceedings are very straightforward and logical. Eeyup. That's how you raise a family. Your father and I have been married for twenty-three years. I love him, but I wish he'd love me more often; momma needs some lovin'..."

They both weren't watching the movie anymore. They both killed their wine and each took one last round. She put down the bottle awkwardly, causing it to fall onto its side and roll onto the carpeted floor with a dully ringing thud.

Shining Armor couldn't tell what his mother was thinking. He was drunk, she was drunk. She was wearing her bathrobe with what he sincerely did not want to believe was nothing on underneath. And now she was asking him personal questions and saying some very unmotherly things. And the relationship between father and daughter in the film was getting squickier by the second.

Twilight Velvet was looking at her son with what she assumed to be a playful expression. They were both drunk. And something had been bothering her, and possibly him, ever since that damn bikini had come into their home. Like any good mother, she had to get to the bottom of things. The magic from earlier was stopping her from getting just one last vital piece of information...

He robe was partially open. Shiny could see the exposed side of a generous breast.

She broke the silence. "But all that chastity before marriage stuff is just crap. Nopony really does it, right?" She was fixing her gaze on him.

"I wouldn't call it crap," replied the young stallion to the older mare. "Chastity protects emotionally, against diseases, and against unwanted pregnancy."

"It's also no fun." She advanced upon him. 

Since he was trapped up against an arm of the couch, he had nowhere to run. "But it's against the traditions of Princess Platinum and the laws of Clover the Clever, in place since between the days of the migration and King Vortex, even."

"But that was a different era with very different folk and very different needs. Nopony enforces those laws now; there hasn't even been a single criminal fornication indictment in 545 years. Back then, when we didn't have contraceptive spells, condoms, means of choosing or terminating pregnancy, genetic tests, or medicine that can tame even the nastiest crotch rot, ponykind had to be careful, because every single fuck could have dire consequences."

"They still could now."

"But they don't." As she said this, her thigh slipped out from under her robe. Shining Armor turned red. He couldn't help it; maybe it was the stress, maybe it was the booze, maybe it was something else entirely, but he found himself blushing furiously and getting hard against his better judgement.

Twilight Velvet asked, "Shining, admit it, you've been with a mare."

Where was all this coming from!? She'd always loved to rake him over the coals every now and then, play with him, toy with him, make him squirm. He wasn't in trouble; he'd know unmistakably if that were so. He avoided her gaze as best he could, but a little voice within him decided that not only would lying to his mother about this get him nowhere, but that there couldn't be any harm in it. He admitted softly, "Yes, Mom, I've been with a mare." His cheeks could have set the couch fibres smoking.

"Nailed it!" She took a draught of air from her empty wineglass. She congratulatorily tapped him on the shoulder. "My little pony, once a colt, now a stallion! Now, don't worry about it being premarital; again, just don't tell your father. There's no shame in a bit of screwing around, unless you're a prude, or your father; I'm his only ever lover."

"You mean I don't have to feel like I'm hiding a big, terrible secret?"

"Of course not." Shining Armor immediately relaxed, or more accurately, deflated like a bicycle tire. "Feeling better now?"

"I didn't even know I was holding that in. I haven't even let my friends know about this; Fletched Arrow still thinks that I'll be the last to hand in my v-card. Thanks, Mom."

His mother nodded. "No problem, sweetie. You can tell me anything. I swear, no matter how bad it is or how crazy you think it gets, don't forget mama will always love you and has seen just so much more." She put a hand reassuringly on his knee. He reciprocated lightly. The two of them word sparring and teasing each other was a long game of theirs which sometimes just got a little weird. Unfortunately, this wasn't over; Twilight Sparkle had inherited that devilish fire in her eyes from Twilight Velvet. Now Shiny really didn't want to say anything more; the last thing he wanted her to find out was that he'd paid an older mare a not insignificant amount of money to take his virginity, and that he'd spent way more money than he wanted to think about to keep fucking her routinely all summer long. Competely ignoring his blatant discomfort, she persisted in the attack. "Who is she? What's her name? Is she hot? How did you meet. Did you remember to use protection? Would you marry her?" She leaned forward to get closer. Her breasts were getting precariously proximal to the precipice of exposure. Something about that jogged his memories of his compensated lover. Older mare, silvery fur, bicolor mane, playful demeanor, wine lover...

He knew the jig was up. "Her name's E-V."

"Ooh, tell me all about this Eevee."

The son swallowed like dust. He had to pray that giving her these tidbits, coupled with his mother's intoxication, would bring this to a close without forcing him to yield something she'd call juicy but he'd call embarrassing. "She's an older mare. Nice, big boobs. She's hot for a mare her age, I guess. Yes, we used protection. I don't know if I'd marry her." There, he'd answered five of her six questions, hoping she was too wrapped up in trolling him to notice or care. He thought his mother might forgive or otherwise tolerate him paying for sex, even if she'd definitely rib him for it to the end of his days.

She smiled, "Wonderful. So, how did you meet?"

A subconscious impulse took hold of him. He glanced guiltily at his phone, causing his mother to lunge for it. He tried to stop her, but he was too slow, she too forceful, and both of them quite drunk. Her hands pounced first, but went wide. His hands pounced second, but soared true. For a second, Shining had a faint, mad hope of keeping his secret, but as he closed his fingers around where his phone was supposed to be, he instead merely brushed against warm fur and not hard platic. To his horror, Twilight Velvet unlocked the phone with his passcode, and then played around on purposefully for several seconds.

"Mom, please-"

His protest was strangled in its crib. "Oh, I see, in your messages, you have a lot with a certain Ev Vel. Well well welll..." He never learned what was supposed to come next as her eyes grew first wide and then narrowed as they did when he was in a world of shit. The frolic went out of her voice as she tapped the screen. "What do we have here?" It was no use -- she'd already seen everything -- she knew he was a chronic whoremonger and had been pissing away his allowance and graduation money on a prostitute.

"Mom, I-" He halted dead. She wasn't making scrolling motions -- she was making typing motions. Tap. Tap. Tap. Why? Her lips were moving with a silent tempest, her head repeatedly making up and down motions, sweeping up and down his phone's screen like a searchlight. Then she pressed one last button. Nothing happened. But then. Ding! His mom's phone went off.

This couldn't be.

Oh, fuck no!

The urge to run filled him, but his logical brain told him the only chance he had to live through whatever the hell this was demanded he stay put and weather the storm.

Don't tell him he'd been fucking one of her friends? Her boss? A coworker? A hitherto previously unknown aunt by marriage?

Twilight put down his phone, picked up her phone, read the message, and slammed her phone to the table.

She turned to him, an expression and look conveying nastiness unknown. When she finally said something, it was a quiet roar, no louder than a whisper, but every bit as menacing as a growl. "MOTHERFUCKER!"

"W-wh-wha-what!!!!?!?" Shining trembled, not daring to hear the word again.

"Motherfucker! Motherfucker, you've been fucking me! The absences, the bikini, it’s been all you!"

This could not be happening! Shining's mind was reeling. How could he have been having sex with his own mother the whole time!? "How? Wait, what!? How is that even possible -- I'd recognize you anywhere!"

"Apparently not naked in a hotel room bed!" This was even worse than it seemed; his mom never lost her temper. Annoyed? Yes. Angry? Yes. Snippy? Yes. Intimidating as hell? Yes. But actually shouting? Shining couldn't even remember the last time he'd hear her properly holler in anger. "What the fuck is wrong with you, fucking your own mother time and time again!? Answer me!" In her lunge, her robe came aside done low and one of her breasts was now exposed.

Instincts and alcohol took over, as well as a deep desire to not let Twiley discover this. "How the fuck do you justify whoring around when you're married with children! Does dad even know what you're doing!?"

The scandalized pair locked eyes. For a moment, a unique, volcanic outraged boiled up in Twilight Velvet's eyes, but then it subsided. Neither of them was thinking well; both their brains were flooded by emotion, alcohol, and hormones. Somehow, a semblance of reason got the better of her. She softened, "Dad knows. I don't take escorting home, don't link it to him, and he pretends I don't do it."

"But why!?" Shiny seethed, feeling disgust at this mare for the first time in his life. He too had to restrain himself. He had to let his mother speak.

"Once I'm done answering your questions, kid, you better answer mine! Kapeesh?"

"Kapeesh."

"Good." Velvet made a great effort to keep her composure, but turbulence bled through with every word. "I am a mare with needs, needs your father cannot meet on his own. I love him very much, and he loves me, and I would never leave him, but I crave sex in ways just he simply doesn't. I need variety. I need different stallions to take me in different ways. I need a lot of it. I can't deal with him being gone a solid third of the time, at least. I know you're going to ask how long has this been going on. I've been doing this for the past seven years. After Twilight was born and no longer a baby, and you were old enough to look after her, I talked with your father about how to handle our sexual difficulties; he simply can't physically perform enough to fully satisfy me. After a lot of talking, we agreed to semi open our marriage. I would be free to pursue sex on the outside, provided it couldn't be traced back to him or the family, and provided it didn't come into our home life. And I had to use protection. I agreed." For some reason, her eyes seemed to seek forgiveness. “Have you ever had a dream that was so good, felt so real, that when you woke up, you still felt it, and it lingered?”

“I have.”

“That is what it’s like when I return to being Velvet after Velour. All those needs are taken care of and I can be who I need to be – Night’s wife, your mother, Twi’s mother. The cash doesn’t hurt.”

Shining asked more coldly than he ought've, "So why'd you go from a slut to being a whore?"

Velvet gave her answer, albeit less hotly this time. "For a while, I did it for free, but one, at an upscale hotel bar, a distinguished gentlecolt asked me for my rate. I told him something I thought was ridiculous, but he took me up to his room, gave me the bits, and we did the deed. I realized I'd just made a not small amount of money for getting laid. I'm a mare of bad morals and I couldn't resist getting paid to my brains fucked out on a regular basis by all the guys I could ever want." She saw he was out of questions for the moment.

"So, my turn." Shining Armor's heartrate exploded. "So, first of all, why me?" She was venomous like a manticore.

"I swear I didn't know it was you, Mom," he nearly pleaded to her. "It was some other mare named Madam Eventide Velour. She had a different mane, cutie mark, accent, and everything. Plus she didn't know me. She was like a totally different person."

Velvet nodded her head. "A side effect of the magic I use for my disguise is that it changes not just how I look, but also my personality and my cognition. I'm not exactly the same person when I'm Eventide Velour as when I'm Twilight Velvet, even though we share the same body, and even though the memories do transfer over, it's like having just a really vivid movie or a partially forgotten dream. I won' t be able to connect all the dots or reflect too clearly on anything with too much focus, it's like a haze. You've been wasted drunk before, think of it as being rather like that. I do have access to it, a privilege I don't grant to her. She's just there to be the me who plays in bed, more like a fragment or a persona than a real person. You learned about gestalts and cores in school, didn't you? Same body, different characters. The important stuff, like my underlying personality, language, education, scars, and such gets transferred, and I can aesthetically change my cutie mark and colors, but she's a crafted persona -- using the magic to take on her guise means at least partially becoming her for however long the spell remains powered and isn't disrupted."

Shining's eyes lit up and his mouth popped open in realization. "The last time I had sex with Eventide, she came really hard and for a moment, I swear there was this bright light all around her body!"

"That was you giving her such an orgasm it interfered with her magic like static."

"And she also had a scar on her stomach!"

"Like this one?" Velvet asked, exposing herself to him, showing a visible but low and horizontal scar on her abdomen that would be easily hidden by most swimsuits and lingerie.

"Yes!"

But the mare wasn't paying attention. Instead, she was drawing up on the stallion, her mind still very much muddled, only this time, her approach wasn't violent The robe was untied now, granting the son a long look down the front of his mother's body, from the rounds of her breasts to the folds of her labia. She sat down on his lap and began rocking sensuously over his crotch. She immediately felt his hardness prodding against her. "You didn't answer my question; you only told me how, not why. So, why'd you decide to pick me instead of any other of hundreds of mares out there? Why didn't you pick some fresher lady tighter, younger, skinnier than me?" The danger was still in her voice, just now mixed with honey and a kind of exaggerated sugariness.

The stallion was blushing and trying hard to keep his hands and face away from her almost nude body. "I-I don't know. I just saw the ad and it all kinda snowballed from there..."

"Shiny, honey, be honest, do you like my body?”

"Well, Mom, I-" Cottonmouth -- he couldn't say anything. His outrage was now gone, just replaced with shock and arousal.

She rode up and down on him, simulating mounting him like when she had taken his virginity. "Why did you choose little old mom when you could've done any mare?"

"I uh...-"

Twilight Velvet rubbed her pussy along his underwear-covered erection. He felt the stickiness and the heat sock through the fabric. She mare then removed her robe completely, now totally nude astride her son.

“That’s not an answer. Did you pick her because she looked like me?”

“What? No.”

She pressed her tits into him. “Was it because she looked good to you?”

“Well of course.”

And how did she feeeell…?”

“Mom?”

"Touch me." Velvet commanded, grabbing his hands and putting them on her breasts.

"Do you like my breasts?"

"Mom, your breasts are the tits," he tried to joke, only to come out pathetically half choked wheeze laughing.

"I agree they are nice big and succulent; I'm glad you like them. They fed you once upon a time.” Unprompted, he brought his mouth to the curvature and kissed. Shining felt his arousal It felt wrong, but part of it also felt really good. His mouth grew greedy, and he kissed and licked more greedily, his hands also kneading into the soft flesh. Twilight let out a sigh Her hips rocked back and forth over him.

"And your mother's hips?"

"They, uh, well, make you look very mature."

"And my ass. Go ahead, grab it."

He hadn't noticed the faint hissing. She moved his hands again around to her backside, and pressed on his fingers to make him squeeze, but he didn't need prompting this time. With another grind on his crotch, she all but momentarily cradled his cock inside her pussy lips, letting the feeling of her arousal and the sent of her womanhood drift to his nose. Although Twilight Velvet was in control this time, she could exploit any colt's instincts every bit as well as Eventide Velour. Just like that pegasus earlier today, her young paramour hadn't a chance. Tell him about him, or how he wasn’t her first prey today? Not if she wanted to live.

"Wow, Mom, you’re so amazing."

She stopped. She leaned back, pushing Shining’s hands off her. She stared at him, looked at his muscles, his leanness, his eyes. He had kind eyes with pupils gone wide. He just gawked at her. She could nearly feel the heat of his pulsating blush coming off his face.

“You think I’m beautiful?”

“Yeah, like wow.”

"Yes, is it everything you hoped?” She leaned in close, her lips almost beckoning to his, but as he leaned in close, she pushed him away and instead whispered in his ear. "Tell me why. Tell me why you're so attracted to me -- why you decided to fuck me over and over again instead of some other, younger whore."

"Because you have a grown woman’s body – girls don't have tits like yours. Because you have real hips with curves, an actual feminine hourglass figure. And because you make me feel safe, secure. When I’m with you, I feel like I have nothing to fear with you, like you’ll take care of me.”

That line made her stomach turn. Way past flattering, down to instinctively repulsive, as if her own father had complimented the firmness of her ass. "If you like your mother's so much, then fuck me again, right here, right now, if you mean what you say."

She got off him and crouched down on her hands and knees in front of her, offering herself face down and ass up. She knew she'd played him perfectly, shoving his instincts into overdrive. Outrage, alcohol, and perverse lust were a maelstrom in her mind, and she demanded a release from it. She wiggled her ass at the poor stallion. "Fuck me already!” She didn't even wait and began touching herself. Holy fuck, she was mad, she was disgusted, and yet she was soaking wet and turned on beyond belief.

Without hesitation, Shining Armor approached his mother from behind. With the tempest raging in his impaired brain, instincts took over -- here was an attractive, available mare he trusted deeply and cared about very much, and she was telling him to fuck her right that very instant. His brain wouldn't let him do anything else! Deep in the evolutionarily archaic parts of his brain, he recognized her lordosis posture as one signaling she was his for mating. He didn't even need to check his erection to know how hard he was.

He grabbed her hips, brought himself up to her entrance, and pressed in until he was all the way inside her. He couldn't believe it -- he was fucking his mom and it felt incredible! He started moving, thrusting in and out. Her pussy was so hot, so wet, so tight, so soft, so smooth. And the way she answered his thrusts was incomparable. And without the condom in the way, overwhelming waves of pleasure blasted him -- he knew sex felt really good, but he didn't know just how good it really could get. Now he understood exactly why some guys bitched forever about condoms. He was touching her like never before.

His thrusts were met by her motions. She touched herself frantically with a fury, glaring and snarling in between moans of pleasure. "Is that all you can do?" Shining responded to Twilight's barb by gripping her ass hard, digging his fingers into it with the nails. That was going to leave a mark, but he didn't care -- the animal in him had taken over, and it was going to fuck the shit out of this cunt, and the harder he rutted her, the better he felt. And this time, he understood that his mate's soaking pussy wasn't lube, but was all because of him and how he turned her on.

They fucked like wild animals, fast and frenzied, exchanging few words and fewer caresses. They funneled their betrayal, shock, fury, and disgust into carnal passion, the stallion hoping that his mare would at least not be angry at him for rejecting her and would understand the sincerity of his attraction as he pounded out his anger at her secrecy and double life, the mare hoping that her stallion could somehow reconcile her madonna and whore sides, trying to fuck him back.

The two were rapidly reaching their ends. Velvet was quivering under the relentless pounding from her son, and Shining's body was threatening to lose control at any second to the heavenly feelings washing over his cock with every single motion. Her pussy was slickening and his balls were tightening. Both hearts were hammering and they were nearly gasping for air.

Velvet's body started to go first, the pleasurable spasms toppling her one-armed stance on the cushions, sending her falling face first into the sofa. Shining's body was not going to last, either. He was harder than he had ever been, the most aroused ever in his life, and the only thing that made any sense to him was furiously fucking this female who was his own mother. He did it slow and deep, he did it fast and shallow, but he couldn't stop the pressure from building in his cock. His balls were going to burst...

“Mom! I’m gonna cum inside you!” She said nothing back.

With a cry, Shining wrenched Velvet's hips, forcing himself inside her, as deep as he could go. He didn't know if he said anything or just imagined growling at her, the fucking amazing bitch, to take it all. Pleasure overwhelmed him and she held onto his mother for dear life, digging in with his fingernails hard enough to draw blood even as she shook and gave muffled cries beneath him. She was so impossibly wet, so good, so inviting. He spilled in her with white hot flashes of pleasure. He was so deep in her, so hard and masculine. And her body hungered for what he was emptying into her pussy. her cunt slightly flexed and greatly wettened as she tried on instinct to milk that sick son of a whore for everything he could offer while he overwhelmed her with paroxysms of twisted yet embraced pleasure. She was fucking him every bit as hard as he was fucking her. They struggled against each other, their primal fight coming to an end in a mass of sweaty limbs, flushed flesh, sticky organs, and the stench of sex. They wrestled, unable to deny their overwhelming pleasure from and need for the other. She felt the pain of his rough grip and the satisfaction in pushing him so far. He felt exhausted at what she had extracted from him and satisfaction with how he had made her crave and take him.

They wanted to tell each other something. She turned to face him, he tried to open his mouth. But words died in the pants and the flood of hormones through their heated blood.

The man withdrew from the woman, himself still leaking and her still dripping. He tumbled off the couch and bumped his head on the table. Winded, sweaty, and in a daze, the son tried to smile and touch his mother. She pushed his hand away, instead pointing upstairs. "Go." It was a command a nanometer short of a scream. Still in a daze, he got up wordlessly and collected his clothes, leaving without complaint.

The mother did the same. The movie was ending now. There was just one last line. "It's Chimeratown, Jade." She took herself upstairs, flopped into bed and immediately passed out into a fitful unconsciousness.

But as for the son, he had found his way into the shower. And under the calming blast of the too hot water, he struggled to begin to think, holding his head as he rocked back and forth, trying to meditate under the burning head, trying to wrap his head around what had just happened.


	4. I Hate You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another encounter between mother and son with explosive results.

"That's it, baby, fuck me," cooed Madam Eventide Velour as Shining Armor thrusted into her, squatting between her juicy thighs. He hilted in her, savoring the heat of her pussy, even through the latex of the condom. She was wet and tight, feeling wonderful despite that physical barrier. He kissed her breast, taking a moment to enjoy rolling the nipple around with his tongue, causing another small peal of pleasure to come from his partner. He thrust hard into her again several more times, nearly pulling out slowly before plunging back in like a sword, making her body shake and voice quiver. 

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!” He leaned forward to press their bodies together, to feel close to her comforting warmth. He felt his balls tightening, the pleasure building up to its peak and impending climax. His cock was hardened even more to prepare to spill his seed into the furthest reaches of her heavenly folds. He felt her get wetter and wrap her legs around his back, locking him inside. He sucked on the nipple. A peculiar gasp. To his surprise, something warm and vaguely familiar. "Fuck me, baby," 

came the voice again, without an accent. Shining looked up at his mate, only to see the pink and yellow mane of Velour replaced by the purple and white of Velvet. Her lusty grin was gone, replaced by a leer showing a mouth full of sharp teeth.

"Mom?"

"That's it, fuck your mother." Velvet's words dripped with venom enough to wilt granite, words like poisoned honey with an arsenic sauce served on a cadmium mercury cake with arsenic frosting. The toxicity was practically in their very echo. Shining Armor tried to stop himself, but he couldn't restrain his hips or stem the flow of pleasure. "Don't stop, baby. Let mommy take it all. You like this, don't you?"

He tried to shake his head, but he instead found himself nodding, agreeing, "Yes." His pleasure was almost overwhelming. He gulped, feeling that spark race down his cock, his balls, guts, and gleuts tightening as he let out a small groan. His toes curled.

"I knew it."

"I'm gonna cum."

"That's it, baby. Let me have it." He came, feeling his cock twitch and something wet spew forth from it. Velvet did not rock her hips, instead just letting him writhe, trapped in pleasure between her thighs. And as his pleasure began to subside, he looked to his mother's face. Her teeth were now fangs. "Good baby. Now let mommy finish sucking you dry!" Before he could do anything, his mother lunged for his throat. Her fangs made contact and her serpentine jaws clamped down.

"MOM!" Shining Armor half screamed, half groaned as he jolted awake, his heart pounding, his fur drenched in sweat, something sticky tripping his senses down at his hips. For several minutes, he tried to calm himself. It had just been a dream, no? A nightmare? Then he remembered last night. The wine, the text message, his mother putting moves on him and how he had responded. Velvet was Velour and Velour was Velvet. He thrust his face into his hands. Oh, what was he going to do? He couldn't face her again, not after that. Oh, God, what was he going to do? He felt sick. His dick still felt pleasantly fuzzy. "You're not helping," he growled at the offending appendage. He dabbed himself clean with his sheets.

The stallion's stomach growled. "Not you, too," he moaned at his treacherous belly. "Please, don't be hungry; don't make me go down there and deal with her, not right now. Can't you wait for say, a thousand years?" His stomach made an even louder, more insistent rumble as the first strong pang of hunger shot through it. "Fine, I'll go," he said darkly, looking for his pants.

When Shining Armor arrived downstairs, his heart immediately sank through to the basement and then beneath its foundations. Standing there was his mother, looking the same as ever, but moving with a slight thrum of tension, lacking any of her usual natural ease. A stranger would not have noticed it, but he had been around her more than any other pony, literally his whole live. Of course he'd notice. What kind of son didn't care to note his mother's mood? He thought for a moment about talking to her, having it out right now. The words came to him. 'Mom, I'm sorry about last night. I didn't know you were Velour, and if I'd known, I never would have done it. Let's keep this secret and I'll never visit another escort again. Just please don't tell Dad. I love you, please don't be mad at me.' Perfect, that would do it. The delicious smell of eggs frying on a hot, buttery pan wafted into his nostrils. Then, his heart dropped yet further. There was Twilight Sparkle sitting at the table, happy as a clam, tearing into her scrambled eggs. He couldn't have this talk with his little sister in the room.   
"Morning, BBBFF!"

"Morning, Twiley," he replied. He just had to push his luck. 

"Morning, Mom."

Then his mother turned to face him. Her expression could only be considered a restrained glare aimed at him like a rifle. He was hit with a stone-cold slap of fear and regret. Then the unfortunate memories came and he found himself thinking about how he had just dreamt of her body, and had tasted it most recently just hours ago. He attempted to shoot her some kind of meaningful look back. The mare's eyes slid over to the little filly for a split second, then her head jerked up deliberately. "Yut." Then she made a glare at the table. Shiny didn't have the nerve to protest and so sat himself down.

When his breakfast came, he noticed that his share of eggs and quarter of an orange looked somehow much smaller than Twilight's equivalent rations, not that he had the heart to protest. He dug in wordlessly. His mother's lack of comment thus far made him disinclined to say anything, at least while certain lavender unicorn fillies were within earshot. He soon finished his allotment, and Twilight noticed this too, a not insignificant amount on her plate. He shot her a silent request for help. She obliged. "I'm not too hungry, BBBFF. Here, have some of mine." As she used her knife and fork to cut off a section of her helping, she asked Velvet, "Mom, why is Shining's portion so small?"

Twilight Velvet forced a smile. "Mommy made a mistake, dear. Be a good filly." Shiny nodded. The messages were clear. Shining Armor got into his extra helping, grateful that his little sister had been around to help his hungry ass. It wasn't long before LSBFF had finished her breakfast and went upstairs, leaving the alienated pair alone. Shining made a point of finishing as quickly as possible before he mysteriously found arsenic in his victuals. He took his bare plate to the sink and washed it. He opened his mouth to speak. "Mom, ab-"

"Don't you have to exercise this morning, Dear?"

"I do-"

"Bye!" She barked, waving her hand as if to scatter a swarm of gnats. Her son was out the door before he even knew what he was doing.

Twilight Velvet's plaster smile failed the second the door opened. She sagged her shoulder, sighing out loud. There was that man, that stallion. Fuck it all. Way to go, she had been meaning to talk to him. Instead, her feelings had gotten the better of her, again, as usual, and now things where more complicated and intractable than ever. And with her husband gone, she had nobody to turn to. She grabbed her phone, composing a text message. "Doctor Mind, can you do a special appointment this Friday? Something just came up."

While she waited for the reply, she set about cleaning up after breakfast. She took the plates into the sink and ran warm water while scrubbing with a soapy sponge. Her son hated her, she knew it now. First, he had lusted after her. Then he had lain with her, more than once, even paying handsomely for the privilege. It had been so easy then, in the moment with her brain befuddled by magic and the quick flow of money, reassuring her that all was well. It had been so easy when it was names, guises, and hotel rooms, all with no expectations beyond cash and copulation. But then, she had blown it. In her state of unease, she had gotten drunk. In her drunkenness, she began to ask questions. And next thing she knew, the truth had been revealed. But instead of being a rational mare, she had to just fucking know how her son really felt about her. So she put him to the test. If he succumbed to her advances, then she was depraved, but at least he desired her, so she couldn't be truly repulsive, bad, and unloveable, right? But if he refused, she'd be alone and had sexualized something that was better off left alone. That loneliness, it was... unacceptable...

Her phone dinged. She checked it. "Hey, Velour, up for another round? Your place, an hour starting at 3? You up?" Fucking damn it! Suddenly, a plate hit the counter and shattered into a million pieces. Oh not now! Before she could stop herself, she was typing back.

"You bet, honey. How about a special -- thirty bits for an extra half hour?" Her life hung waiting for the next ring of her phone. She only noticed with annoyed relief that the front door had just slammed shut, her son having exited.

___________________________________________________________

Shining Armor had been double timing it out, and then triple timed it when he heard the plate shatter. Had things really gotten that bad that quickly? Had his mom gone from warm and caring just the night before to smashing plates over him? The young stallion's heart sank. It hurt. He didn't want anyone to know it, but it hurt. He felt it right in his chest. It was like cold constriction. He found his face drooping, but he stopped it. He was a man now, about to be a soldier. Men didn't do things like clue people in about their hurt feelings; they built bridges and got over it. Tears were for children.  
With a growl, Shining began his jog. Yes, some exercise would let him outrun his feelings. Being hot and achey would cover up his inner pain by making his outsides too uncomfortable to ignore so he could focus on them.  
The miles passed. The distance went by, bit by bit, step by step. He soon found himself in the part. He saw a pink mare up ahead in jogging attire. As if his heart needed anything else to make it pound a little harder.

He forced a smile as he drew near. "Hey, Shining!" Damn it all.

"Greetings, Princess."

"Just Cadance," she laughed, coming alongside him. She kept up without effort; she had always been a bit supernaturally light on her feet. "What's up?"

He paused. Not one of his flustered boy pauses, but a real hesitation. "Nothing," he said, too quick and subdued for it to indicate anything but distress."

She brushed his arm, curiosity and concern showing plainly. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, just training hard. And you?"

"Stressed as ever. Celestia is making me accompany her in greeting the Usinorian delegation."

"So?"

"Bears. At midnight."

"Sounds dreadful."

"Tell me about it. And I've got a paper in the morning." She almost leaned on him.

Shining touched her back a little bit, hardly daring to. "Sorry to hear that, Cadance."

"Such is the life of a princess," she drifted off, starting to just slightly breathe heavier.

"You seem pretty calm about it."

"I'm not, actually," revealed the pink alicorn, huffing, "I just look like it."

"I couldn't tell, so you must be pretty good at it."

"And I can tell that something is bothering you, so care to share?" They were walking now. She tenderly touched his arm.

"Nah, it's nothing. Just a bit of friction with my mom..."

"Shining, are you sure that's it?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" He pulled his arm away. She frowned.

"I didn't say..."

"Yeah, you didn't," he growled before being able to stop himself.

Sounding a bit hurt, Cadance replied, "Are you sure nothing's wrong?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. Twiley's fine. Everything's. Just. Fine. Just not getting along with my mom right now."

"Would you like to talk to me about it?"

"No. Now tell me about those bears again?" It wasn't a request. They didn't spend too much time together after that. She didn't touch him again, either. Shining felt badly about having snapped at her, and he also had a very bad sinking feeling that he wasn't done with her yet, that she was going to keep pestering him about his troubles. After all, princess of love, and his problem was with familial love. It was familial, wasn't it? He hoped that, whatever his predicament was, it wouldn't fall under her domain. The last thing he wanted to tell the mare he'd been crushing on for years was that he'd fucked his mom and now things were eighty parsecs past awkward and had taken a hairpin turn straight up Fucked Avenue.

The rest of the day just simply sucked. Thoughts of his mother went through Shining Armor's mind incessantly. They ended up making it near impossible to focus on anything or get anything accomplished. Unfortunately, exercising hadn't done much.  
________________________________________

"I'm cumming."

"Cum for me!"

"Velour!" The stallion grunted, bucking his hips into her. He flared and surged forwards. She felt him hard as hell inside her. He pushed in deep. It frankly wasn't comfortable. He was too big for that. She felt him surging inside, dick twitching, spewing forth semen into the ballooning condom.  
'Get off and get off already... Honest, my son's got point one percent your experience and you can't fuck a thousandth as well as him.' "Yeah, baby, give it to me. You feel so good." 'I frankly feel almost nothing. This is work; I'm not supposed to feel good.' Madam Eventide Velour bucked her hips, milking the stallion as best she could. She was glad he was holding her close and couldn't see her deadpan expression. He tried to kiss her, and she deflected his lips down to her breasts. That at least gave her a small thrill as he saw to her nipples, but it was like encountering the one spot of jam on a dry piece of toast.

"Fuck! You're the best. My wife can't compare to you."

'So, go teach her to, then. I'm sure she'd love to hear all about what a terrible lay the other mare is... What, does she just lay there like a fucking dead fish and let you get it over with? I would not be surprised if that were the case. Is she really so bad that you need to pay me a hundred plus bits every single week for a fuck that all but the least disinterested of asexual mares could give in their sleep?' "Oh, yes, she can't handle you." 'This one loves having his ego stroked. He's easy to please. Ask him about his latest office drama, let him bitch about his coworkers, then his wife, then suck his dick, then lie back for about five minutes and pretend he's the biggest, manliest guy to ever pierce a pussy, dirty talk him a little bit, and then let him blabber at you for the rest of the time.'

"You were incredible, Velour," he panted, his stiff wings starting to fold in while his cock softened.

"You too, babe."

'Slight twinge of the hips, a little gasp.' "You made me cum." 'Smile, give him half of a giggle. Now pat the side of the bed. Good, now he's out of you. Sweet relief; the bastard is well hung and just hammers away. I should try to avoid working more today if I can avoid it. At least the pay is good. Amazing how he'll believe I came if I just tell him I did. I'm honestly not the best actress. If I told half my clients I came, that'd be thrice as much as I actually do, including my orgasms from masturbating. Now, pat the bed and let him lay down alongside you. Just like so. Good. Now, put an arm around him and listen to him yammer away about sports or whatever.'

"So, anyway, I was playing hoofball this weekend when..."

Eventide Velour zoned out. 'I'll let him go on for a while, then I'll magically push forward the clock, making him none the wiser. He thinks he's some kind of marathon man in bed. Urg, I'm bored. Why does this guy have to be my most dependable regular. If only Gleaming Shield came around more often. No, not him exactly, just pretty much anyone but those two. This guy's my only booking for the day. Is it worth looking for another? Not really; I'm not in the mood for more mechanical, mindless, through the motions, work sex. Momma needs some lovin'. Shiny did it well.'

'God fucking damnit, Velour, you sick pervert! He's your other self's son!'

'And yes... we liked feeling him inside. Energy to do us well, but not big enough to make us sore. Cute, earnest, and nice to talk to. We sure don't mind kissing him, feeling him moan into us as he cums...'

"...I told Blazer Stitch that there's no way we're switching to a plaid..."  
'You blew up at him when? Last week? No, a couple weeks ago, actually, plus some days now, too. Shattering that plate was far from the best move.'

'Damn, that's right. Now I feel like a bitch. What have we to feel bad about -- he started it, going behind your back to hire me, or was it behind my back to fuck you? Well, Velvet, you just had to push it. You had your inklings from us, but you just had to fucking go and confirm it -- couldn't let it be a shadow and a thought, now, could you?'

'It's funny, had I just stopped, I'd've never learned the truth and you'd still be getting to see him as a client. Too late for all us included, now, is it? We guess.'

"...I really won the game. Out of all my saves, that was easily my fourth best. I'll always remember my first great save. Let me tell you..."

'You haven't cum since you last felt your son inside you. Admit it, you want the boy, not that you will. That's your problem, that you lie to yourself about your wants and desires. You tell yourself you want your husband, but you really don't; he let you down all those years ago and now you're almost afraid to admit that there's still hope. You tell yourself you don't want your son, but in fact, you want to feel him lose control balls deep inside you, calling out "Mom! Mom!".'

"... I threw it back at the idiot in pinstripes..."

'And your problem, Velour, is you're a whore. You really have no standards, only prices. I know "Gleaming Shield" was a treat to you, as was that sienna pegasus. And a whore who'll fuck anyone indiscriminately shouldn't be giving a lady advice when she's trying to get adequately loved by just one gentleman in what I might add is supposed to be in an absolutely personal, non-professional capacity.'

"... I mean he had a MARE'S plot..."

'Maybe I don't. Look, you know this body is getting on in years. My husband is never around and I have plenty of sex doing, well, this, but I'm just an object of desire. It makes a mare feel special to know there's someone who would have sex with her anyway, just for the sake of it. I have nobody else to talk to. These past weeks have been terrible.'

'And whose fault is that?'

'Shut up. So anyway, Shining doesn't need me to be on point or in character. He's done me once as me, and he'll do me again. I need just someone to make me feel liked and wanted.'

'But what if he says no?'

'That'll hurt. I mean, I am the most dear mare in his life, and he'll be turning me away when I'm in most need of him to be there for more. The last thing I need right now is to feel ugly and rejected, especially by my own son.'

'And what if he takes you up on it? What then?'

'It'll feel good; you've trained him how to do it well. It'll confirm he still loves me and I haven't ruined what we had between us.'

'Is he your son or your paramour?'

'Shut up.'

'I mean it. If fucking him got you here, what makes you think that fucking him again is going to make it any better? And how are you going to feel afterwards? You shouldn't do this, no matter how needy you really are.'

'Shut up, whore. And why are you telling me to not bed him, anyway; aren't you all about fucking?'

'I guess it could not be too bad, if you were willing to admit that you actually want this instead of just resentfully quote unquote need it. You're attracted to that son of yours; he turns you on in the way your middle aged and older clientele just don't. He's strong, fit, young, gets really good erections naturally, and is eager to please. You just wish you didn't feel guilty as hell about wanting to fuck him.'

'Shut up, cunt!'

'What after? How are you really going to feel? How is he going to feel? Let me tell you, you aren't me; you can't just fuck anyone and write it off mentally as okay without lying to yourself. Here's how I see this going. You seduce him, he feels all bad and lets you do it, thinking it makes everything okay, you get your jollies, then, once your current flood of feelings is stemmed, reality catches up with you, causing you to once again have yet another major freakout just like the last time you fucked him, which will only end up ultimately making the whole clusterfuck even worse.'

'I don't need this, especially from you.'

'Velvet...'

‘...I remember when he came to me for help with chemistry...’

'Right there, that's what I'm talking about. You want him for your lover, but you can't stop seeing him as the boy you raised. That bit of cognitive dissonance is going to bite all of us in this hard, mark my words.'

'That's enough from you.' Twilight Velvet pushed forward the clock with her magic. "Oh, baby, I wish we could stay longer, but look at the time." She pointed at the clock.

"Already? But it's like we just started." The stallion borderline pouted.

"Well, time flies when you're having me, and you're a regular marathon stud." She stroked his ego, getting an agreeable chuckle from him.  
She'd already begun levitating his pants over to him as he gave her breasts a final few squeezes for the road. "Guess I must've gone at it longer than I thought, huh. So, next week as usual?"

"Sorry, no, I'm on tour next week. I'll be visiting Manehattan..." 'Damnit, Velour, I know this guy sucks and all, but don't deny yourself the revenue.'

'The fact you're even this aware of what I'm doing is all the sign I need that you're in no condition for me to just plug away at this. Construct and core personalities shouldn't be able to just so easily talk like this.'

'True.'

"That's a shame. Well, let me know when you're back in town, okay?"

"Sure, sexy." He had his pants on. The mare slapped his ass at the door. 

"Now, go get em. I want to hear all about it next time."

"Yes, Ma'am." The stallion left with a grin.

"I need a fucking shower. Then I'm going home and getting some satisfaction."

'Or so you tell yourself.'

With the door now closed, her horn lit up for several seconds. The pink and yellow colors fell away, leaving the white and purple mare looking exhausted.

________________________________________

Twilight Radiance Velvet had everything perfectly poised for her master stroke.

Dealing with the daughter had been easy. She called Moondancer's mom and had a sleepover. Moony being a desperately lonely filly meant that her mother was so desperate for her daughter to have friends that she was a pushover to manipulate into a sleepover at a moment's notice. So the inquisitive one was gone and not a problem. Plus, she wasn't going to have to cook for her. It was feeling like it was shaping up to be a sweatpants and pizza with a trashy movie kind of night, no matter how good the much-needed fuck was going to be.

Her husband was out of the picture for three more days. Maybe. He would have the weekend home before jetting back off for Griffiya. She'd have to fuck him, of course. Maybe she'd ask him about changing jobs, or at least requesting assignments that didn't take him hundreds of miles away more often than they left him close to home. The clueless stallion, oh she loved him, and would love him more, if only he was actually there to love, and not too exhausted to love her back!

But last was her son. She had the whole scene worked out in her mind. He was going to come home, see her wearing just a long nightdress without a bra while perched over a counter with an open bottle of wine and two filled glasses. He wouldn't need too much persuading, or at least he’d better not. Then he'd follow her upstairs, bend her over her bed, and fuck her brains out. Afterwards, in the afterglow, he'd be happy, she'd be happy, and bygones would be bygones. Motherfucking done.

It took her very little time to get it all arranged. Then there was nothing to do but wait. She twinged with excitement, or was it a kind of anxiety, or anticipation? She squeezed her thighs together. It gave her slit some nice sensations, warming it up for the main event to come.  
Deep down, Twilight Velvet didn't know what would happen if it didn't happen.

She was honestly more afraid of hearing him refusing than whatever sex with him would mean.

She needed him. She needed him to fuck her. She felt like shit. She felt bad about how she'd behaved and how she had treated him. She had to make this all better in the one way she knew how. Things couldn't be bad if they were having sex, right? She was stressed; an orgasm would make her feel better. He was going to make her feel better with his love and attention.  
But why did it have to be him?

Her son, a being she had created and given life with her body, who had sucked her breasts in his first days, grown up under her, become a man with her guidance. The bond between mother and child was sacred, inviolable. She'd made him -- her vagina was only ever supposed to touch him once, and it wasn't meant to be at all sexual. Why did she want to fuck him? A bit of revulsion. How could she sexualize he who was once a little boy she had to explain to about not chewing with his mouth open? This was wrong of her, sick even. And yet, fucking him was a thrill, an unqualified thrill.

She just had to try it again. She had to have him have her. A good fuck, an orgasm to clear her head, that was what she needed. He owed his life to her; he could at least give her this little.

The door opened. In he came. Shining Paladin Armor, her son, her lover, her tormentor. She shuffled her thighs eagerly, already imagining the ghost of his touch spreading them.

"Hey, Shiny, c'mere." She patted the wineglass even as he approached. By the time he got there, a full glass was already poured out for him. He said something to her, but she wasn't paying attention; her mind was already face down, ass up, getting railed in the gutter. "Yes, it's okay," she replied.

Awkward silence as they both drank.

Eventually, he looked at her. "Mom, I'm sorry."

"For what, sweetie?" Velvet asked, giving her best doe eyes.

"For all that stuff with Velour." He was blushing fit to combust and stammering fit to rattle.

"Shiny, it's okay. you didn't know."

"But I should've." He cast his gaze down and took a big drink, draining most of his glass in a giant, guilty gulp.

She touched his arm. "It's okay. Hey, you didn't know about who she really was."

"But I chose her." He was rigid as a board. "I chose someone who looked like you."  
'Prod. This is getting really interesting. "But it's not like you were looking for me, were you?" 'The prey is walking right into our sight. This is just too delicious.'

"N-no, I hope not?"

"Hope not? Now you're insulting me." Velvet stood closer. She drained her wine.

"S-sorry, Mom."

"Sorry?" 'Time to strike.’ "I'm not a young mare anymore, Shiny. I appreciate the attention. It makes me feel wanted..." She took his hand in her own and then pressed it to her breast. His eyes widened.

"What about dad?"

"What about him? This is our secret. I'm not mad at you, Shiny." 'Inhale. Sell that excitement. Touch him.'

"You're not?"

She laughed, "Why would I be mad at you for being a health young stallion and being attracted to mares. And, to be fair, you're coming out quite nicely.  
Shining Armor was now blushing fit to ignite. Twilight Velvet now started slowly for the stairs. "You uh, didn't take it well, when you, uh, figured it out."

"I overreacted. And I'm so sorry. How about I make it up to you?"

"How?"

She shook her ass at him. "Come upstairs." She ran up first, letting her plentiful ass jiggle in his face. Oh, she was going to get her satisfaction from him, all right. Upon reaching her room, she threw off her nightie and sat on the edge of the bed, facing him. "Get naked and take me."

"Yes, mom," Shining armor grinned, clothes flying to the floor. He approached, starting to get erect. He paused. "Is this really okay?"

She wouldn't answer him.

Velvet slid off the bed and got on her knees. Their eyes met. He stepped forward and she took him into her mouth. It hadn’t taken long for him to be ready for her. She wasted no time in stoking his fire, taking him deep into her mouth, sucking and licking the whole way down. He didn't reach far enough into her to make her gag. Perfect. One hand went to his balls, fondling them. Her other hand made the journey down south to her slit. She expected to find it dry, but instead, she was wet -- not soaking; she'd need to be either very well lubricated, or aroused as hell through foreplay for that, but still, here she was seducing and now blowing her son in her marriage bed, and she was responding in body already. It was hot.

And she hated it.

She sucked him well, touching herself to get the juices flowing. She had to be wet to fuck him. She had to fuck him. A hard member in her mouth, even her son's, made her feel a paradoxical blend of lust, pride, and disgust. Lust that she was in a sexual situation. Pride that her little boy was grown into a very healthy male. Disgust that she was getting aroused doing this to her very own little boy. She sucked harder and fasted, moaning a little bit, licking around the base. "Mom..." Shining Armor sighed at her, rubbing her mane affectionately. He wasn't ramming it in deep, he was expressing pleasure, and he was touching her right back -- Eventide had certainly, or more accurately, she, sorta kinda, had taught him perfect blowjob etiquette; let the lady love the length, show appreciation, toucher he, too, and guide her. "Kiss the head, please..." She did, licking around the frenulum. She made another humming noise. He shuddered a bit. "Oh, mom, this feels so good, you're amazing, you're beautiful." He gently caressed her cheek, gazing down at her while she made eye contact with him. She slowed, going for sensual. She felt his balls already beginning to tighten. She couldn't let him cum yet, not before...

She touched herself. She was definitely aroused now. She needed to feel something inside her. She slid in a finger at first, and then a second. She wasn't quite yet ready for penetration, thankfully. She didn't know if she could handle that. She played her clit with her thumb. The more she played, the faster she fellated. The faster the fellated, the more Shining expressed pleasure. Now, he was running fingers through her mane and guiding the pace and depth, making sure to not exceed her ability to handle depth or speed. That perfect fucking gentlecolt! And the more he expressed pleasure, she hornier she felt. And the hornier she got, the tighter wound the growing knot in the deep pit of her stomach was getting.

Her son's dick hardened. It tasted, well, like dick. She wanted to put it in her other lips. She figured he was pleasured enough to not make this bad. Her pussy was wet -- not lube wet, but real wet, wetter than she wanted. She was really enjoying this way too much.

Velvet swallowed him to the balls one last time before popping off to hop backwards onto the bed. "Enjoy mommy, Shiny." 'Twilight, that's enough! Let me handle this; you're looking for answers you don't want for questions you shouldn't ask. Stop it. Cast the spell and I'll take him from here. Ask him first to just close his eyes and hold you tender and he'll never know the difference. Please, let me do this! This isn't going to end well. Listen to me, I'm the construct personality in this gestalt; you're the core -- I'm supposed to protect you, I'm trying to.'

'Go fuck yourself.'

Velvet popped off Shining and stood up. She looked her son in the eyes and whispered, "Take me."

Then, with a grin and a needy look, he pushed her backwards onto the bed, falling softly, the mare nearly giggling with half ashamed excitement. He grabbed his mother's thighs and pulled her towards himself while he stood on at the edge of the bed. He rubbed on her entrance. She felt him, so hard, his dick was warm. She watched as he aligned with her and then sank in. Being filled was a curious sensation. It was like being, well, full, like having eaten a hot meal, which then proceeded to squirm around inside and make her feel nice funny.

He gasped as he went inside, "Mom..." She wanted to tell him to shut up, but she said nothing. She rocked her hips a bit and brought her hand back to her clit. The other one rested by the headboard, presenting an inviting image to her mate. He began thrusting, shuddering in the initial pleasure. He hilted and grabbed her legs, holding them high and spreading wide. Some nice, deep spot in her pussy was touched. It felt nice, she guessed. She found her legs resting on his shoulders -- not the most comfortable position, but it let him in deep -- all the better to get him off. His hands found their way to her breasts. He groped and squeezed, and then suckled the nipples like a baby. Good tingles were coming from between her legs, too. Velvet bit her tongue to avoid letting out too much of a gasp. She wasn't supposed to feel good like this!

"Shiny..." Velvet found herself groaning, bile beginning to rise up from her belly to her throat. She pulled him around her, and he locked her in a loving embrace, deep inside her pussy. She touched herself, unable to make herself stop.

"Mom, mom, mom," he continued to moan. He held her deep, fingers digging into her. He hugged her tight enough almost to stifle her breathing. "Mom." He slowed his fast thrusts to go slower and deeper. He pushed her back and mounted her, laying full length atop her and between her thighs. He kissed her. She found herself kissing him back. He caressed her face, smiling. "You feel so good."

Velvet didn't want to agree. "Honey..."

He didn't notice the arsenic in that honey. He ploughed on ahead, thrusting deeper and with greater force. Velvet felt herself beginning to twitch. He had to come soon. She needed him to cum. He was feeling too good for her. He touched her all over. He stopped, just holding her. She caressed his back disinterestedly. "Do you love me?"  
He couldn't see it, but a truly wicked grin crossed his mother's face. She hid it to lock eyes with him. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He reared back, squatting between her thighs now, thrusting again. He rubbed her body. "You're so beautiful."

'Stop it! Don't make love to me; fuck me!'

His hands were on her breasts, stroking her stomach, stroking her mane. he was drinking in the sights and sensations of his mother, the dearest mare in his world, the one to whom he owed his existence. And his mother was rocking her hips in time with his, using her legs to pull his ass towards her, and rubbing away at her clit as they copulated. All the while, her free hand was balled into a fist so tightly the nails bit into her palm, not that her son was really paying attention.

"I never knew how good it could be without a condom, Mom..."

'Oh, shit. I'm protected, but... Shining Armor is my son; I can't touch my son in this way. It feels good, really good, but I don't want this. I don't want his raw body to make me feel this good; it's too intimate. Please, Shiny, cum soon; I can't have you in here too much longer.'  
Sparks of pleasure were coursing throughout Velvet's body. She no longer felt doubtful or ugly now. Rather, she felt wretched -- ugly on the inside. But she needed the pleasure. So long as he was fucking her, the ebb and flow of their bodies, and the tides of her pleasure, could keep her distracted. And if she didn't cum, it'd all be for this without even granting her the release she so desired. But if she did cum, that was a whole other nightmare she didn't want to ponder. She masturbated and egged her son on. They kissed and kissed. She hung herself off his neck and arched her back.

She felt him harden. She was panting and shaking, despite herself. Shame was boring her deeper than her son's dick. Mother and son, here they were, at the peak of intimacy.  
And she would have given anything for it to not be so. Anger rose up with more bile. Anger at herself, at first, for engineering this. But then it turned to the dear boy loving her as if she were his very own lady. With every thrust into her and every caress of her breasts and moan of her name, she felt magma flowing within her, threatening to spill from the cracks at any moment. She clawed his back, letting out a moan. He only fucked her faster. God fucking DAMNIT!

Her son kept calling her name, mom, with ever heightening frantic urgency. He was kissing her deep at both ends. He hilted and spasmed. "Oh, Mom! I'm cumming!" She almost puked, but lust and pleasure overpowered her. He thrashed, calling her name. She felt him surge and twitch.

He spewed and dribbled into her, suffocating her, flooding her, even as her own body writhed in orgasm, out of her control. She heard him cry out. "I love you! I love you!" He kissed her before she could say anything.

He bucked into her. A warm feeling was spreading throughout her core, her depths. Her son was cumming inside of her! This was wrong, so very wrong. No stallion for a long time but her husband, his father, had cum inside her, raw, and given her his essence, but here he was, doing that. She felt defiled, violated, betrayed. This wasn't supposed to happen; it never was meant to be. But here she had wanted it, engineered, provoked it, hoped for it, and now she was reaping ecstasy from it.

Shining was slowing, and her own tremors were beginning to calm. He broke the kiss.

"I love you! I love you!"

Hearing that while feeling his seed flooded into her first made her heart swell with warmth. Then, she remembered who she had just fucked. Her balled fist crashed into his gut.

"I hate you!"

His eyes shot open. Instantly, he shrank away, but was still inside. He began to draw out, looking like a man staring down a live weapon. "Mom...?"

"I hate you."

He was trembling. He released her, looking like a kicked puppy. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you disgusting fuck, I hate you." She forced calm in spite of her own inner cyclone. 

"Get off me, get out, and leave me alone." Venom flowed from her like a geyser.

"M-Mom, you ca-"

"GET OUT!" Shining sprang from her, running naked out the door with his clothes in his arms. She felt his semen now seeping to her outside. Once warm, it was now cooling rapidly, much like her rage. Velvet felt tears come streaming down her face. She gathered the blankets around herself and wrapped up in them. Tears flowed. The fury was gone. Sobs racked her. "Shiny, I'm so sorry!"

'I told you.'

But Shining wasn't there to see her. He was already in his room, grabbing his things. His clothes, his ruck, his computer, his charger, his phone. He didn't know where he was going to go, but he didn't care; he just needed to get out of there. Before even a minute had passed, he was out the door. He had to get out of there. He had to find someplace to stay until it all blew over. But where and with whom? He ran, not really caring where he went or what he looked like, barely holding in tears. His mother had hurt him. She had loved him. She had held him. She had said it was all okay. She had even kissed him.

Then she ripped his goddamn heart out. It hurt, it felt like he'd been physically struck with a hammer. His chest ached and he didn't know why or how. It was hard to breathe; words barely formed into sentences in his mind; all that worked was the burning desire, an itching in his legs, to run as far and fast as he could. It had been just like last time. No, worse than last time, even.

But who would he stay with? Arrow was going to be nestmating, and he didn't want to interrupt that. Sprocket was in Ponyville for the foreseeable future. Cadance? Was he crazy? Dad? Was he truly crazy?

He stormed around, sprinting, then running, then jogging, and then, finally, panting and barely moving, coming to a half on a park bench. He looked up and saw a familiar statue. At least he knew where he was. It was late evening, so hardly anyone was there. He held in tears, because big colts didn't cry. Instead, he just hugged himself, body shuddering, and not in delight this time.

Why had this happened? What did he do wrong? Why was his mother suddenly so angry with him? What was wrong with her? He had no answers and was afraid to ask. Even worse, because of the violence of her lashing out, what was wrong with him? How could the kid mare, who had raised him from cradle, suddenly do this to him? He'd apologized and stayed out of her way ever since the fateful night the truth about Eventide Velour and his had been revealed. For two weeks and perhaps more now he had done so, and she had seemed to calm down; she had even claimed to have forgiven him, even. Then she seduced him. He came. She came. He had held her, clung to her, silently released a few tears of strong emotion, feeling that closeness in his heart restored. She had beckoned him on, held him in as he ejaculated, giving himself to her completely, holding her close, kissing her, calling her name. He wanted to show her that he cared about her, that he was her son, he cared about her, and just wanted to make her happy. He hadn't planned on having sex with her; that was her idea, but he didn't know how he could have said no, especially not when she was inviting him into her bed. He had given her exactly what she had wanted of him, hadn't he? Good sex, and she'd cum, too. Why, then, did she hate him? Hate him. Hate her very own son! And all he'd wanted to do was just make her happy. How did it go so wrong? Why? He tore at his mane. And what was this feeling like being unclean? Why did he want to rip his skin off and boil in a hot bath? He screamed in frustration. "FUCK!"

His cry echoed around the deserted park. That felt good, hearing his own voice, almost as if he wasn't alone in this. In the orange glow of a street lamp, Shining Armor let out some tears, unwittingly, silently, against his own will. He didn't resent them as much as he wished he could. A warm breeze came through the rustling trees. It reminded him of a mare's touch and he turned into it, wishing it would grow arms and hug him. But here he was, all by himself. If only he could touch someone. Maybe then it wouldn't hurt so much as if there were a gaping hole in his chest. Was this what they called heartbreak?

He didn't know how long he stayed there. The sky had been starting to twinge towards yellow when he had returned home, that he certainly knew for sure. It had to have had been no more than moderately more orange when he had fled the disaster at home. It had been orange, he believed, when he had arrived at the park. And now that he was calming down and much more aware of himself and his surroundings, despite the overwhelming inner turmoil, it was a dusky umber veering into blue.

Nightfall. Damn. He needed a place to stay; he couldn't go home that very night, that much was sure. Even if his mother let him, he couldn't bring himself to face her, not after he had somehow caused her great distress, and then, to his shame, instead of being a man and comforting her to resolve, fleeing like a bitch and moping all over town about it. Truly he was fine Royal Guard material if they ever needed a pony to fake retreats. He was so glad nobody he knew had seen him.

He got his phone out and started looking for cheap hotels near him. It didn't take long for him to find one that was actually affordable, plus had free wifi and breakfast. It looked shitty, but it was better than having to crawl somewhere and begging for shelter, and it definitely beat spending the night homeless. He entered the address into his navigation program. He sighed, settling down for a long walk. At least he was in good enough shape for it to be more of an inconvenience than a real problem.

Just as he was starting out, he heard a familiar voice. One he did not want to hear right now. "Shining Armor?" He turned to look behind him. And there, in the flesh, was Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.

"Hi, Cadance," he echoed hollowly.

Cadance immediately frowned. "Are you okay, Shining?" She hung an arm around his shoulders from behind and they started walking.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just. Fine. Cadance." She frowned more, but brought her other hand around to touch his arm.

"Your mom still?" Silence. "Shiny?" More silence. "You don't have to say." Even more silence. Several minutes’ worth.

"Her."

"What's going on?" He knew he ought to be more defensive and not look like a wimp in front of this mare, but just the fact that she was touching him made him feel so much better that he could not bring himself to brush her off. He felt like a little girl, honestly. If he wasn't so thoroughly down already, it would have pissed him off.

Oh, the things he could tell her! Oh, the storm in his heart. Oh, the void in his chest. Oh, the curses ringing in his ears. Oh, the shame. Oh, the scandal. Oh, the confusion in his breast. But he could not. Even thinking about confessing his great sin to Cadance made him think he'd rather still be shot. He could tell her a little lie to maybe get some advice to make the whole nightmare slightly less fucked. He opened his now curiously desert dry mouth. "I don't know how to talk to her."

Cadance nuzzled into him. "Oh, that's easy." He felt the urge to punch her. She must have felt his clenching, because she stopped touching him and stood opposite him, looking him in the eye. She then grasped his hands. "Just tell her how you really feel, Shining. Let her know that you love her and just want to communicate what you want and how you feel. She's your mom; she loves you and would never do anything to hurt you." He barely avoided wincing.

"Oh, okay, I'll try. Thanks, Cadance." She smiled and nodded.

"And, Shining..."

"Cadance?" Their eyes met. He gazed into her pink eyes, pink like rose quartz crystal. They were so beautiful -- he couldn't look away. And she likewise was staring. A lump formed in his throat. Their heads started to come together. Were her lips closing? No! He shook his head, breaking the embrace and shattering their trance. Suddenly, pressure welled up behind his eyes. "I gotta go!"

"Seeya, I guess?" Cadance called from behind him as he strode away on autopilot, sounding at least four feelings at once.

Whatever relief Shining Armor may have felt instantly melted away the moment he fled Cadance, just like he had fled his mother. Fuck him! His heart let itself go into the black pit of despair once again. He had just alienated the very last pony he had ever wanted to push away because he was too much of a fucking pussy to face her like a man. He had just ruined a good thing before it had even started by being a stupid jerk to the one pony who showed him any thought at all twice in the same day. God damn him!

As he neared his hotel, one thought reemerged over the regret and pain: touching Cadance had been nice. Feeling his mother from the inside made him feel good. He needed a mare, and he needed one now. That would make it stop. It had to work, it just simply did. And so, as he reached his room, he found an escort on his phone and sent her a message. He couldn't be alone right now; he just couldn't. His thoughts were a disease, and the only cure he knew of lay between thighs. He didn't even care about who she was or what she looked like, so long as let him have what he craved like water in the desert. All that mattered was getting some pleasure to take him away from this black pit.  
There was a knock at the door.

"Come in!"


	5. Old Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shining Armor is missing, following his argument with Velvet. Her husband is soon coming home, but with three days' grace, the situation is under control. She can find time to see an old and favored client for some escapism.

"Mom, where's BBBFF?"

Twilight Velvet turned to look at Twilight Sparkle. The damn bookhorse was turning out to be more inquisitive, and annoying than she'd bargained for. She gave a practiced smile that Velour would have commended and replied sweetly, "He's with his friends, dear. He's camping out with Spring Sprocket over at Rainbow Falls."

Twilight Sparkle met her eyes with a pout. They shone with intelligence. "But why didn't he tell me?"

"I guess he forgot, Sweetie, running off like the boy he is. Don't worry, he'll be back, I hope." Velvet hated the look on her daughter's face. Were she a bit older and more socially adroit, she would have finished crossing the line from confusion into outright skepticism. What else was Velvet supposed to do? Tell the truth. She imagined saying, "Twilight, don't talk to me about your brother right now. I fucked up royally by fucking him, and then I went psycho on him for reasons I'll need to talk to my therapist about, and now he's hiding out somewhere and it's all my fault. Please don't tell your father. And by the way, I'm a whore." That would work out amazingly. "Anyway, Twilight, how is your homework coming along. Is it done?"

Twilight Velvet never got her response, for just then, before her purple filly could say anything, the doorbell rang. Velvet went to get it, thankful for the distraction from her sins. She opened the door to see Cadance standing there, just as planned. "Hello, Mrs. Sparkle."

"Cadance, so nice to see you. Thanks for coming on such short notice. I have some emergency errands to run, and thank you so much for being the best foalsitter ever."

"Oh, no problem," smiled back the pink princess, albeit with some discernible tension.

"Anyway, there's yogurt and crackers in the usual spot, and Twilight's got some extra credit homework she can't wait to get started on."

Cadance replied, "Sounds about right to me." Velvet was handing over Cadance's pay envelope when she was interrupted. "By the way, you haven't seen Shiny around, have you?"

Taken off guard, Velvet stiffened before answering, "No, he's camping with Fletched Arrow. He'll be back before too long."

Cadance arched an eyebrow as she saw the packet and took it. "Oh-kaaay..."

Velvet instantly knew that Cadance wasn't buying, so she hurried it along before she dug herself an entire crypt. "Anyway, I'll be back in a few hours. Money for pizza is under my placemat if I'm not back by seven, and the wifi password is Atsacoj. Well, you smart fillies have fun; mommy has some errands to run soon." Her mind turned to the appointment -- outcall to a private residence down in the foothills. She knew the place well, and even though it was work sex, she couldn't help but dance her thighs together a little bit like she was a randy teenager all over again, teasing out that new tingle in an old place. “Anyhow, I better get going. Thanks again, seeya!" Velvet practically blurted out, almost jumping out the door and thumping Cadance with her very overweight messenger bag. It was with a significant sigh of relief that she relaxed at the sound of the door closing. "Way to go, Twilight, smooth as fucking silk."

And then she realized that the envelope she had given Cadance had a very familiar stallion's cursive hand on it spelling out a certain pseudonym. She'd just paid Cadance with an envelope used for Velour!

Shit.

An acid knot formed in the pit of her stomach and worked its way up to her chest before conspiring to cloy around her heart. Cadance's look as she had eked an escape had said it all; this wasn't over, not one little itty bit. Velvet willed herself to walk. It was a half mile to the bus stop she needed, from there a forty-five minute ride to her outcall destination. She would assume the role of Velour once she was about to meet the client, but wouldn't put on the dress until she'd gotten to his bathroom first.

The simple knowledge that she was going to have a curious Cadance to contend with really did not help matters. Her son was MIA. At least the police hadn't said anything about him, nor had any news websites. Twiley had not been taking it well. Sure, she had some endurance, but the neuroticism and anxiety inherited from hers truly was going to show before long. And then there was the matter of Night Light. Simply put, her husband was due back in a few weeks. On that front, she was sure. It wouldn't be too hard to find Shiny, though the little fucker, because his libido had started all this, had better come to her first. She couldn't be the first to cave; to do that would be admitting fault, that she had lusted after her son, copulated with him, seduced him, even deflowered him. A mare her age... Velvet knew what they'd say about the pairing just on that gap alone, never mind the consanguinity. Things had been rough enough with her getting cozy to a certain blue teenage highschool colt while she was a college mare.

She thought of being taken, a male embrace, feeling warmth on her and in her, with waves of pleasure washing over. A good dicking, that'd make it stop. It always did that. Her hand drifted down south, rubbing near her crotch, but she caught it with the other. No, not even one stroke of a fingertip, at least not now.

She barely noticed the bus now. Ponies just riding, standing or sitting, not paying attention to her. The isolation helped a bit; being anonymous made her just another face, rather than anyone exceptional in either morality or depravity. She ran things over with Velour.  
'Okay, Velour, here's the sitch: one hour outcall with Adze Chisel.'

'Splendid. Can't wait. I know you can't either, even though he isn't your son.'

'Not now.'

'Well, things as they stand are in a crisis, so better right fucking now.'

'It's not a crisis. I have it all under control.'

'Last time you said that, you got your son tipsy and had your way with him before kicking him out of the house with jizz still leaking from his dick.'

'Shut it. You wanna be in charge of the sex, you get to be this time. He's asked for the usual.'

'So Madam Eventide Velour gets to play pretty pony dressup?'

'Yes, you're doing faux gentlecolt and lady thing.' Twilight could tell Eventide was happy to hear that.

Oh, goodie, I like getting treated like a lady.'

'It's the craziest thing you actually like doing this thing.'

'So says the mare who's convinced herself twice that fucking her son was a good idea and yet can't handle a bit of costuming and roleplay.'

'Shut up; you've fucked him way more and how am I supposed to take Adze seriously when he's being a borderline cartoon character.'

'One, I'm your gestalt; you're the one truly in control here. Two, you didn't have to see him as me, keep meeting him, or do him as yourself. Use some hair dye and insist on wearing something that’d cover your cutie mark. Three, I'm an expression of some parts of you as you'd wish them to be instead of a totally different person. Four, does the mare with a thing for virginal, younger stallions really not get the allure of being silly and cute?'

'Whatever! You clear? You up for this?'

'Roger roger.'

'Got it? Get it? Good! I swear to Celestia's sun, don't make me reprogram you.'

'As if you would alter your left hand.’

The rest of the trip was radio silent. Velvet found herself a couple miles north of the Carbuncle Cornice Rail Yard in a residential district made of low, squat, small houses smushed in between various three story apartment blocks. This was the part of town tourists didn't go to, not from fear, but ignorance, and a lack of reasons to trek over. The sun was going from white to yellow in the sky, casting long shadows on the boarded-up windows, overflowing dumpsters, and giving a faint, grainy shine to the grime on the graffiti. After many minutes of walking, Twilight Velvet saw herself at her destination. She hid behind the dumpster and did the spell to accentuate out her gestalt. Eventide Velour emerged from behind the dumpster. She climbed the stairs to her liaison with an eager swing in her hips, whistling an upbeat tune, apparently carefree.

But on the inside, a few things gnawed at her. There was the question of Velvet and her family woes, if this was the right place, if she'd be paid right, if all bodies involved would cooperate, and so on. But those would have to wait, because for the next hour, she was going to play with her absolute favorite out of all her clients. Far cry from her most hated -- Hren...

She knocked on the door. Ra-rap. Ra-rap. Silence. Steps approaching. She felt conspicuous. Not even three seconds later and she was already feeling self-conscious, wishing the fucking asshole would hurry up and get her out of sight, not that there was anything wrong with being just a mare going about her business – pre-appointment jitters exacerbated by other concerns on top of the special anxieties of doing outcalls to a residence.

The door opened, and she was ushered inside by a handsome stallion. Auburn of coat and tall of body -- at least a solid two meters of fine muscle, a rugged face growing a small beard, eyes that shone with kindness, and an undeniably virile scent that made her want to swish her hips a little extra. Beneath his tweed suit and fedora, she knew there were buff biceps, chiseled pecs, washboard abs, buns of steel, iron thighs, and killer calves. And inside his pants was waiting a truly magnificent cock. And to this she got paid to spend a solid hour with this spectacular specimen who loved as good as he looked.

She'd fuck him for free. Fuck that. She'd pay him to fuck her.

"M'lady, welcome to my humble abode," he greeted her, ensconcing her in an embrace as he took her into his dingy apartment. "I hope thy journey went well." He spoke with a fake Canterlot noble accent, with obvious, big spades of borough Manehattan showing through like light through old shutters. He had a voice like gravel, yet with a humorous edge that made him feel like the world's toughest teddy bear.

"Tis good to see you again, Mister Adze Chisel," replied Velour, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him into a kiss, a chaste peck, but one that made her chest flip. She broke the kiss. "I shall adjust mine costume without delay," she said, going into his cramped bathroom and shutting the door.

She flipped on the lights, knowing their position from familiarity, and there, beside the sink, was his envelope. A crude heart with a faux fancy hand capital v inside penned on it in red ink. She opened it and took inventory -- one hundred and ten bits total. One hundred bits as per normal, plus the ten percent outcall surcharge, considering the added inconvenience and risk. Eventide stripped naked and opened her bag. Inside were supplies: silicone lube, condoms, deodorant and a strapless elegant silk party dress with a full length skirt. She first used the toilet, then applied a big helping of silicone lube to guarantee she'd be ready for the whole session, even though this client was one of the few for who she really wouldn't need any kind of aid at all. As she did this routine, she ran through her mental checklist and notes about the client and date. She put on the dress and delicately applied some red lipstick. She was now his painted lady, ready for action.

She stepped out of the bathroom.

Madam Eventide Velour kissed her gentleman caller on the lips, sucking on them, inviting with her tongue. His muscular arms reached around her back, but unlike that boor from a couple weeks ago, his touch was very different. Gentle, perhaps even reverent, would be the best way to describe it. The earth pony was relishing kissing her, practically purring fit to make the small apartment thrum with the vibration.

"Tis good to see you again, my lady," he said, his gravely, working class Manehattan borough accent still showing despite his best attempt at genteel Canterlot speech.

"Indeed, good sir," Velour said back with a smile. "How fare you of late?"

"Hungry, Lady Velour, for your lips." He kissed her again, pressing harder this time. His fingers began to dig into her back through the silk of her dress. She caressed him in return between the shoulder blades, running her digits along the tweed fabric of his suit. She had no idea why this blue collar construction worker insisted on this ludicrous play at a farcical idea of upper crust courtship, but she could not deny he was likely her favorite client. She knew from her built anticipation, plus from when she had brushed down there while changing clothes, that her natural juices would be flowing for him.

"Pray tell me more, good sir, Adze Chisel?" She kissed him back, kneading into his scapula’s. Hard muscles tensed beneath her touch; she could feel them through the fabric. A primal thrill ran like a small electric current down to her pelvis. She knew what his hard body could do...

Adze Chisel stood up to his full height, resting his head atop hers, sighing happily, "Of course, my dear lady, but first, we have far more earthly delights in which to partake." He hugged her tightly -- his form dwarfed hers like a tower of masculinity. She felt like a tiny bunny being toyed with by a great wolfhound, but she knew he wouldn't hurt her. His fingertips brushed against her shoulders, then poked under the fringes of her dress. He noticed the lack of bra straps and smiled, massaging her.

She leaned into his touch, enjoying the magic way he found knots she didn't even know she had in places she didn't even know could get knots. "Oh, my gentlecolt, marry me," she moaned happily.

"Now, now, my sweet, it's not the place of the lady to propose marriage."

"Oh, forgive ME!" Velour gasped as something popped audibly into place. "How im-po-prieto-us!"

Adze smiled genuinely. Leaning down, he nibbled her earlobe. "Perchance, my lady, wouldst thee desire to shudder in ways yet more sensual?"

Velour couldn't hide her enthusiasm. "Absolutely, your lordship." She leapt onto the edge of the bed and hiked up her skirts, revealing her already wetted pussy. The smells of sweat and sex were beginning to permeate.

Adze knelt, eyes even with hers. He licked his lips. "You're so beautiful, Madam. Allow me to let you feel as beautiful as you are."

"Please, by all means."

He kissed her on the lips, deeply. Then, he kissed her in a trail from her cheek, down her throat, onto her collarbone. Eventide shuddered in anticipation. His powerful hands pulled the edges of her dress down, causing her bountiful breasts to spill out. "May I?"

"Indeed."

He kissed them without delay, starting with the swells themselves, before planting spirals of kisses and caresses around, converging on the nipples. As he brushed her areolas, her pupils dilated. He focused on her breasts one at a time, gently holding it up to his mouth so he could savor it. His suckling turned her on, crossing the border from touch to eroticism, with more than a little dash of intimacy. She rubbed his head, feeling his thick hair. His beard slightly tickled her, but she focused instead of letting him have at her. He nestled his head between them, giving each one a deep, slow, appreciative squeeze, followed by drawing back to kiss each one up and down. "You are so splendidly divine, my lady, not even Celestia could compare."

"Thou art a flatterer."

"No, is but truth."

"S-stop!" Eventide Velour hissed at him, suffering under the electric current of his deft ministrations. Her heat began to rise, feeling his hand down on her thigh. He massaged the leg with his thumb, making slow circles with deep pressure, multitasking in his worship of her feminine form. His hand neared her sex. She could feel his warm grasp. How she was so eagerly anticipating him. Unlike most clients, where the sex was something to be done and her pleasure was to some degree acted and incidental, she rarely had to fake with this one. He could read her body like a book; not a slow study for a stallion who admitted he’d dropped out of school at fourteen to work in his dad’s bricklaying business.

"I shan't."

"You rogue!" He said nothing back. Just then, his thumb brushed against her clit. A spike of pleasure washed through her, wiping out all her theatrical objections, and turning her foundations of rational thought into soft silt. Instinct prompted her to spread her legs wider completely without thought. She could smell herself, her musk radiating into the studio apartment like a heavy perfume. His thumb went around her clit in small circles, giving her sparks of pleasure. Sometimes he pressed lightly, sometimes he pressed more heavily, but always teasing, never touching directly. She gave a slight whine, grinding into his touch, trying to provoke him to speed up and become more aggressive. She looked at the top of his thick, tousled locks, knowing that beneath them was doubtlessly a wicked grin, the expression of a male profoundly enjoying the magic he was working over her with just the barest of touches. She found herself giving some very unladylike gasps and pants so soon into her erotic torment; he had yet to truly make her scream.

Then she felt his fingers leave her body and find her wetness. Without a word, but not without a faint chuckle, Adze teased her entrance with his digits. Velour became suddenly aware of an ache within her body for something, like a hunger. Her hips rocked sideways and he humored her, sliding his first two fingers in between her lips and into her vagina. They slid in so easily, and within seconds, he was in with a third and all the way the where they joined with his hand She felt her cheeks go hot; she knew what was coming next. He began moving his fingers in and out, fucking her with his hand as he kept up the clitoral teasing with his thumb, and his other hand staying up above to tend to her needy bosoms.

Her hands wandered all over his head and shoulders, running fingers through his hair, caressing his face and neck, gasping and sighing like the more considerate of her lovers were wont to do when she took them into her mouth, affirming the gift of pleasure. Or just ram in her face if they weren't considerate. She preferred to imagine the former scenario, unless she was in a very particular mood.

Then, Adze Chisel kissed a trail down her chest, her belly, and hips, finally kissing her at her most sensitive spot as he dove in with his fingers. He raked them inside her, hitting an exquisite spot on her front wall. Velour jolted with a spike of pleasure, crying out. She tensed and tugged on his hair. "Savor, my fair lady," he laughed in throaty baritone approaching bass, not even bothering with the accent in his amusement.

He repeated the motion, and again the pleasure swelled. "OH, fuck!" He simply laughed in response to her panting, kissing her clit and sucking. Eventide's body twisted as electricity buzzed between her legs. He brought his tongue down to her entrance and licked and he fucked her with his hand, delivering long, steady licks in time with his ministrations, from opening to clit, twisting and stroking inside her with his fingers, and grinding around the outside with his knuckles. Velour threw her head back, letting out a moan of pure enjoyment. One hand animatedly pet her lover, the over flew to her breasts and found her sensitive nipples begging to be played with. Velour gasped in continued pleasure, feeling her body losing control, pressure building inside. Words were failing her -- she felt hot, so hot, so wonderfully full of heat, like a primal itch was taking over her entire body. She shoved her hips against Adze's face. "More, sir, please, more!"

"As you wish, Madam."

It felt good. No, not good, not even great -- amazing! Little whines escaped between her lips. Adze grabbed her by the ass and dug in voraciously, eating her along her whole slit. Her legs closed around his shoulders. There was one last threshold of pleasure -- should she warn him? She didn't squirt, but -- no, too late now! She dug her nails into his strong shoulders, whimpering, "I- I'm...!"

White hot pleasure engulfed her from head to toe as the sentence died in her throat. "Adze! Adze!" she cried joyously, shuddering with every lick and kiss he gave her with relish. Her heart hammered away as she endured a merciless assault of carnal bliss. Heaven was between her thighs. In that moment, Velour felt even the lingering fears from Velvet vanish into the ecstasy. She shut her eyes, watching patterns of light dance across her vision as frantically as her hips writhed and jerked in their sensual frenzy. She leaned back, gasping, panting, fighting to breathe. She tingled down there -- so sensitive, so intense, so good it almost hurt. She had to push him off, wordlessly begging him for some mercy.

Madam Eventide Velour flopped backwards onto the bed, her brain soaring somewhere beyond the edge of the galaxy, her heart running like stampeding buffalo, and her vocal chords nearly hoarse from screaming.

"Is my lady satisfied?"

"Oh-oh yye-ey-esss, verrry," she slurred, propping herself up to look at him as she spoke. He clambered onto the bed while she was still an incoherent mass of pleasured jelly and held her. "Marry me!" Eventide Velour blurted out, curling up against his chest. They both laughed.

He gave her several minutes. She knew what was going to come next; her eyes had told her all she needed to know as she watched him go in for the kill with the protrusion from his hips. Alas, her playtime was over, not that it was anything to mourn. However, her jaw gave a bit of a preemptive phantom pout, for she was not a snake. The escort slid her fingers down her client's body, deftly wrapping around the appendage when they found it. He was huge, and hard to match. She always felt a small knot of anxiety form in her stomach every time she contemplated taking this particular client's big cock. Despite all the hype, and her own personal erotic expertise as a venusian veteran, servicing particularly endowed clients was never as enjoyable to her as she felt it ought to be, even though instinct did definitely make her love the visual and tactile appeal of a big cock, just like how even though there were spicy peppers in beautiful colors, putting them in her mouth would be distinctly far less comfortable than just admiring them.

Being a professional, Velour put on her best sexy grin, kissing and making eye contact. She said huskily, "Hey, how about I make your toes curl, too...?" Her hand brushed his cock. He grinned right back, squeezing her onto it. Outwardly, she licked her lips. Inwardly, she gulped. She magically grabbed a condom, but held it out of sight. "Recline, good sir." He did. "I want to taste you..." Velour purred, sticking out her tongue, giving him the first lick all the way from balls to head.

Adze's dick was substantial, at least eight if not nine inches long, and just a little bit too thick to fully wrap a single hand around. Madam Eventide Velour was unspeakably grateful in that moment that Adze Maul Chisel wasn't a huge fan of oral, or marathon sessions, or rough sex, though as she licked him, she felt that tingle down below again. Even though his dick was too big to be properly practical, something about it made her primally crave it. She sped up her licks and soon felt him standing up quite hard, but she had a couple more tricks before she took him inside. Opening her mouth, she blew him sideways as if playing a harmonica. He caressed the back of her head, guiding her, thanking her, provoking her, all without words, but not roughly, giving her the places and paces, but letting her choose the method. Velour eventually came up to the bulging head and opened her mouth wide. She could just take it in and sucked. Her partner tensed before letting out a throaty sigh of satisfaction.

Encouraged, the escort accelerated her pace. Before long, she had the first three inches of length in her mouth. Was it worth trying to take him into her throat? Not really, no. She could, but didn't want to feel like the front of her gullet was flapping around loose for the rest of the day. Instead of playing primarily with her mouth, she let her hands do the talking. Carefully, she massaged his balls, gently as if handling fragile Fabergé eggs. He liked this, and she noted his grateful pats on her shoulders. His balls tightened a bit -- time to move onto the next thing. She brought them up the shaft, using the spit she had left all over with her tongue to massage the towering cock. She used both hands in tandem to go up and down and all around. He was now fully hard for sure. She hummed, feeling the vibration purr along the length, from head to sack. His body was prepared; now all her good gentleman needed to do was let her know, hopefully soon, before her jaw got the idea to lodge a formal complaint.

The appreciative stallion brought his hands from her shoulders to her breasts. He squeezed softly at first, but soon with more vigor. Pleasure made her shudder as he worked around her areolas and ever so finely brushed her nipples. This was just the appetizer for him, but an after dinner treat, a nice long desert. Another twinge of anticipation danced between the mare's legs -- she was going to fuck this magnificent cock. But first, certain necessities...

"Please, ride me in reverse, so that I may see thine heavenly haunches."

Velour stifled a goodnatured laugh as she got up to mount him.

Her practiced magic opened the condom wrapper and got out the little rubber. She touched herself down below -- absolutely good to go. Grateful for the silicone lube plus her own natural secretions, she was a little less anxious about what was to come next. She popped off the dick for a second to place it on the end, then she lowered her mouth to meet it. Bracing with her lips, she pressed down, applying the condom in one smooth, steady bob of her head.

She shunted over, positioning herself backwards over him, hiking up her skirt to grant him a full view of her ass, squatting low over his dick. She brushed it against her entrance, rubbing along her slit to get the both of them ready for the plunge.

By her reckoning, she could handle him for about five minutes, which was good, because he normally came after four, usually... She remembered to not count on taking any more appointments for the rest of the day, and ideally the day after, too.

The tip was against her, lubricated. She grimaced and pressed down. It went in. So far so good. Slowly, Eventide Velour sunk down, feeling her mate fill and stretch her. It was very pleasurable at first, but a bit uncomfortable, sorta like having a stomach full of her favorite meal a few mouthfuls short of being stuffed, but the pleasure outweighed everything else. She squeezed on his legs, heeding the primal call to claim him, and rocking her hips slowly, she worked him deeper and deeper, inch by inch. The tension and friction were immense. She gritted her teeth. She touched herself down there -- too soon, too raw from just getting her brains slurped out her pussy. He grabbed her ass, squeezing slightly, letting his restrained enthusiasm show. Words could not describe how happy Velour was that he didn't insist on slamming all the way inside and hilting. She made pleasured noises -- some for real, some for show.

Then she felt resistance with the first twinge of pain. Okay, that was as far as he was going to go for now. Leaning forward, bracing on her hands, she began to work her hips properly now with roughly a third of him inside her. The instinctive part of her brain told her to just hurry up and take it all the way already, but she knew that would go terribly. Assuming she didn't hurt him by suddenly violently slamming her hips all the way down, there was no way her pussy was going to accommodate anything that large, let alone in a hurry; she'd be walking like a bow-legged cowpony for days, and unable to work for a week at least. Eventide sighed out a shiver of pleasure despite the discomfort. That primitive part of her that craved a mate, a masculine mate, was loving this just oh so very much.

"Deeper, please."

Velour didn't respond with words, instead working herself further onto the shaft. She shifted her legs, going from squatting to kneeling. Her burning thighs thanked her, and the increased stability made it oh so much more comfortable. Her stallion smacked her ass, turning her on. Now with her hands free, she touched herself down below. She felt her insides gripping that big thing tight. Tight, deep, hot... She wanted it! Adze bucked slowly, filling her deeper. She winced even as she moaned. She took one hand, and, leaning back, put it on his fabulous abs to both steady herself and restrain him. She braced and sat still, letting him work in and out of her while she toyed with herself. Pleasure from within and without began to mount. Tiny tingles of electricity skittered through her body, making her legs twitch and her heart flutter. She felt the flush of heat on her face, the first few droplets of perspiration forming on her brow and chest. After this, she'd have to invite him for a shower to get the telltale stench off -- what a shame she couldn't wear their combined musk for everyone else to smell, to know what a devious, libidinous mare she was, to see her walking down the street with that devilish sashay in her hips, smelling like sex, smiling just a little too much to be just randomly happy about nothing, a tiny streak of fluid running down her leg, all the while wearing a sexy little dress that revealed just a little bit more than the faintest hint of panty when wind and stride conspired together just so...

Minutes passed. Pleasure and pain mounted for her as her mate's pleasure rose to new heights with every single skillful swish of her hips.

Below her, her stallion's thrusts turned more unsteady and he squeezed her rump harder, digging in with his nails. "Shit," he groaned faintly in his Manehattan accent. She loved that masculine voice, and knowing that she made it crack and flutter like a shy, blooming youth. She brushed his balls, feeling them bunched up tight, engorged with hot blood. He hardened inside her, clenching even harder. "Eventide... Oh... Fuck... Me..."

"With pleasure," Velour teased, touching herself once more, suppressing her pain and enhancing her pleasure. She needed clit to cum, but penetration was definitely very much appreciated. He was far closer than her -- he always was when they did this, a pity. Just as she sank down, he rose up. She gasped. "Ah!" Half pain, half pleasure. All instinct.

He was trembling below her. She didn't need to ask. His cock was harder than granite. He moaned through gritted teeth, "Vellllouuuurr...! Urnh!" His cock surged, and she felt the first burst of cum swell the condom. She wished it could have been raw, but alas... Still, instinct drove her to take him even deeper, despite knowing what that entailed.

"Yes, yes, cum for me, deep inside mine depths."

"My lady!" He clung for dear life as she rocked her hips, going up and down as far as she could, but still not taking him all the way -- she wouldn't and couldn't. His moans incensed her desire, and so faster she rode, milking him over and over, just letting him spill everything he had for her. She grasped his steel thighs, feeling his vibrations transfer into her hands. His hips bucked and jerked, but not out of control. She had to tie him one day for sure. His grunts slowly softened, transforming into gentler sighs. His hands stopped clawing her backside. She felt him softening inside her. She savored her fullness for as long as it lasted, loathe to let such a marvelously magnificently masculine mate just go like that with a load still spilling from his cock. Even so, when he went soft and fell out, she silently sighed relief. The pain dropped immediately -- he had not been too rough. And despite her pleasure, work sex was still work, and so she abandoned her hopes for a second orgasm to let out a satisfied sigh and snuggle up with her client.

"Satisfied, my lord?"

"Fuck yes, my fair lady," Adze chucked, holding her close and squeezing her breast. "Pray tell, how long have we together still?"

"I do believe half an hour still to go, sir." And with that, she snuggled into him comfortably. He was warm and snuggly, and he smelled nice, too. "Have you any recent travails of which to inform me?"

"Travails, my lady?"

"Difficulties," she laughed, kissing him on the cheek.

"Oh. Sorry, I'm a dumbass. Anyway, I was spreading concrete when the new apprentice took a tumble into it."

"Oh dear. Was he injured?"

"Solely to his pride, my sweet, though I do fear for his ears, with how the foreman gave him a bloody row over it."

"Why? Surely he understands accidents happen, doth he not?" Eventide Velour asked, her mind enjoying the mental stimulation. With all the sex she had, and all the fun it could be, it was nice when clients were interested in her services instead of just being serviced.

Adze scratched his chin, drawing out a long, uncertain noise. "Eeeeyuuuuuurrr, yeeeah, tis not exactly so?"

"Oh, pray tell?" Velour nestled up under his chin like a mischievous puppy.

"There is always some mishap afoot with him. He is a dunce inveterate. Last week was concrete. Before that, he mixed up wrenches. Before that, broke a saw by using the wrong blade..."

Velour paused, thinking for several seconds. Eventually, she asked deliberately, "Does he put forth effort? Is he improving?"

"Yes, slowly, hence why I don't know if to keep him on or not. Boss wants the lad gone, but he's a good lad, merely supremely clumsy. As a journeyman, I have some sway, but patience among we craftsmen grows thin."

"I understand, my good tradesman. And so, ask me again next time, should he still be there. None of us was a master at first. If he puts forth effort, improves, and harms nobody, then I see no reason why he cannot be made one day a good worker. But if he improves not, or proves too much a hazard, then he must be sent packing."

A yawn and a sound of approval. "Thank you kindly, Eventide."

"Tis no trouble, sir." Velour was smiling genuinely; she loved getting to be more than just a fuck for her clients. Helping them with their little trials and troubles made her feel wanted and important, that these stallions and mares valued her enough to consult.

They cuddled, they kissed, they groped. "Tell me, my lady, how did you take up the call of the night?"

"Simple, my love, I am a beautiful lady."

"Undoubtedly."

"And I love sex. And being wanted by stallions. Plus I meet so many interesting ponies when, in my real life, I'm just a regular olderish unicorn. I love the attention. I love giving and receiving love. And I love helping ponies feel good. And why do we have our trysts? Why do you visit me?"

"Well," began her gentlecolt, "I like you Velour. You're kind, witty, beautiful... I, after my divorce, I uh am tender, but I still have a stallion's heart." He faltered. Velour kissed him.

"I'm glad you trust me. Care to go on?" Sometimes, she swore, he could get tongue tied over the silliest things. She felt Velvet inside her laughing. 'He trusts us; be kind!'  
What? It's funny the tough, sexy, good in bed, ex married guy still gets flustered talking to a cute girl. What is he, a schoolboy?'

"I, well, I-I like pretty mares, I like touching them, holding them, talking to them..."

"And having sex with them?"

He squeezed her breast lecherously. "Absolutely. And you're my favorite."

"Truly?"

"Indeed."

Eventide flushed, putting her hand on his chest and leaning into him, nestling in his arms. "Did you know that there are ponies who think I'm just a plain old bag of bones?"

"Really, Eventide, there are ponies who don't appreciate you?"

"Well, of course, my friend -- I'm not on point in makeup and dress all the time. Why last week, when I was shopping, I heard the most ghastly thing.

"What?" He was truly intent.

"Some mare with her husband asked him if I were pretty?"

"And?"

"He said she was much prettier," Velour faux pouted.

Patting her on the back soothingly, Adze gasped in mock outrage, 'The nerve. The dastardly cruelty to not recognize a truly queen of love and beauty when he saw her! And the audacity to disparage thy form. I shall duel him at once."

"For my beauty? Truly, am I so remarkable?"

"Indubitably, my sweet lady. With your silky mane, soft fur, warm body, high cheekbones, radiant eyes..." Adze kissed her cheek, trailing down from her neck to collarbone. He felt her chest. "Exquisite, generous breasts." He clasped her ass. "And a truly perfect posterior, an hourglass framed between the curves of your waist and shapely thighs. There are mares younger, bustier, thinner, but none of them has your simple, indisputable beauty so perfectly collated."

"Adze?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up; I’ll faint!" Eventide chortled giddily, kissing him on the lips, pulling him into a deep embrace.

He grew serious again. "Eventide?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Thank you for being so good to me. I genuinely never knew if I could be with a mare again. You helped me to trust and feel masculine again."

"Tis no trouble, and thank you, Adze."

"For what?"

"For being the best client a whore could ask for."

And it was true, for as much as she liked her job and was good at it, plenty of clients were far worse than Adze Chisel. He reciprocated her tenderness. What she had said had been more or less true, just skimping on details. And there they stayed, until at last, Velour had to do something. She didn't need to speak up, as Adze noticed her stirring.

"Is it that time, Miss Velour?"

"Nay, Mister Chisel, but the hour draws late. But, perhaps, would you care to partake quickly in a shower with me?"

His eyes lit up. "Indubitably, my fair lady." She got up and he followed her. He was stirring again, not that anything would come of a second wind, if it even got to half mast. She turned on the shower and got it warm, then beckoned him inside. He grabbed the soap, and with an infectious smile, rubbed it on her breasts.

The shower was nice and relaxing. Velour even genuinely savored the contact and play, but most importantly, she got clean and no longer smelled like sweat, semen, and sex. Instead she now smelled like apple shampoo, which wasn't a bad thing at all. However, the time for play was at an end and they had to say their goodbyes. They kissed. "Will I see you again?" Eventide asked, doing her best impression of a heroine maiden from an old romance.

"I pray so, my lady," answered Adze. "In a month, Celestia willing. But before you go, lest you forget my taste..." They embraced and kissed one last time, bittersweetly and with some zest. They broke apart. "Fare thee well, my fair lady."

"And take heart, my love, for our separation shan't be forever." And with that, Eventide left him, wearing her normal clothes and carrying her bag, now one cash-stuffed envelope heavier.

The door shut behind her. She walked straight ahead, composed, one step at a time. She turned her phone back on. Then she ducked behind the dumpster and summoned her magic. Velour momentarily resisted the changing of the guard, but had no power to resist. A flash of light later, and Eventide Velour was gone, her skin now worn by Twilight Velvet, who took inventory of what had happened. A good roll in the hay -- eaten out exquisitely, sex with a dick a few sizes too large, leaving her somewhat sore, and she'd gotten paid. A smirk crossed her face. She snorted. That whole genteel play thing was ridiculous! Who did Adze Chisel think he was, a tough Manehattan construction guy trying to play at antique Canterlot upper crust? She felt Velour inwardly growl chidingly. Fine, fine, it wasn't the nicest thing to mock a client's kink or request. It was fun, even not degrading at all. She did have to hand it to her gestalt, though, being a truly consummate professional. And that session... wow... even not being exactly present for it still left Twilight a tad weak in the knees. And in that amazing orgasm he'd given her, all her problems had been obliterated. It'd made her giddy and carefree, not having any problems during that spectacular hour of play.

Problems.

Problems.

Problems.

Oh, that was right, she was the real person and still in the real world. And that meant she had a laundry list of issues. Keep Twiley in the dark, find Shiny, make it up to him, figure out how she was going to explain to her therapist this whole mess, and....

KA-DING! KA-DING! KA-DING!

Her heart fell just from recognizing that tone. She looked down at her phone. One new text from Night Light, her husband.

"Hey, Honey, surprise visit home! Rolling blackouts in Vanhoover mean I get a couple days here while corporate sorts some shit out. See you tonight."

This guy... damnit! So much for having the situation all under control with weeks to go before needing to really worry. That anxious clenching in her chest returned with a vengeance. She had to go home and face her fate. Her head's carefree giddiness had evaporated like early morning dew, replacing by a deeply disgruntled feeling in her gut. She needed something to take her mind off it, some form of release... Her hand brushed low. Nobody else was around. She ducked back behind the dumpster and squatted.

Her fingers entered her panties. She was still wet from him. The muddled recollection of the encounter inflamed her, and soon she found herself going at full speed, eager to finish, basking in the good feelings, chasing away her anxiety and fear. Soon, she came, biting her tongue to keep her cries concealed. She stared at her guilty hand, her left hand. That acrid constriction around her heart was lesser now. Looking down, she saw that her knees were dirty. scratch one concern, take another... There was a long way to get home. If she hurried, maybe she could save pizza money.

'Want me to handle him?'

'First my son and now my husband? Harlot.'

'At least I know how to look happy.'

'As if he even looks at me to see...'

She called for a cab, wooden, and when one came, she sat down gingerly, legs crossed, her bag on the other seat to her left.


	6. Night Light and Twilight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With her husband back, Twilight Velvet's plans have imploded.

She loved him. She was ready for him. One kid was out and the other was asleep. There on the bed lay Twilight Velvet in her thin silk robe, splayed out on her side in her glory for her greatest lover, her husband. He was going to be back at any minute. She was eager, ready for him, but not hopeful for it. She knew what was coming, but still had to try to keep her spirits up.

Someone entered through the front door, letting it slam. Then she heard the thud of a hard-bottomed suitcase hit the tile. It had to be him. Footsteps approached the stairs on the floor below. Twilight touched herself, letting a bit of pleasure and wetness build within her body. She was waiting for him, craving him. A month without him had been torture. Soon, she would feel his familiar touch and go through the motions once more.

He walked up the stairs. Thump thump creak thump. He approached the door. He entered. "Heya, beautiful," he said, closing the door behind him. His dazzling smile flashed in the dark.

"Hi, honey, how was your trip?"

He kept approaching her. He was disrobing from his suit. "Oh, the usual. Selling a product for twice what it's worth to a company that really doesn't need it to fulfil a contract it shouldn't be on anyway under the leadership of folks who don't know what they're doing in control of people who don't care."

"So, predictably?"

"Yeah."

"Same here." For the briefest of moments, Velvet knew she saw a dip in her husband's smile. He did it every single time. His breath was hot and heavy upon her. He lowered and kissed her. She guessed he was an okay kisser -- he did it wet and really liked to use the tongue, but he had a tendency to go heavy and deep. On one hand, kissing him ignited a certain flame within her. On the other, well, not only was he not great at it, but... Velvet felt a hand clasp her breast "So soon?" She reinitiated the kiss, hugging him close to her, running her fingers along his back. She liked the feeling of his body, his masculine body. He made her feel young, him being a good bit younger than her. She enjoyed playing this role, the seductress, the temptress, even with her own husband. He kissed back harder. Smack! A hand impacted her ass, sending tingles through her. Oh yes, here he was claiming what was his. But so soon? She let out an involuntary moan into his mouth, causing him to lick at her tongue and suck on her upper lip, booping their noses together, all the while his hand massaging her cheeks, just beginning to sag despite her efforts at keeping them pert. The ravages of age came to all mares, no matter how beautiful they were or how hungry their lovers. She pressed herself bodily against him, feeling her tits press against him, standing the test of time better thus far.

"I've been missing these," he cajoled. kissing her on the lips one last time before immediately diverting down south to her breasts. "Hiya, girls!" Night Light joked, laughing together with his wife before playfully patting her tits. "Besides, I'm tired as hell and on my fourth cup of coffee. You have wonderful tits, Twilight..." He licked them and grasped harder. His wife gasped, feeling the thrill of her breasts being handled. Velvet herself seldom had the pleasure of a partner -- that was usually Velour's turf. Her open mouth invited his, and she wrapped a hand around the back of his head to try to keep him there, to keep him loving her before he loved her. He obliged for just a moment before diving down below, blind to her scowl. He spread her robe open all the way. He groped her from her collar to her thighs. "You're so beautiful," he sighed, kneeling down, wrapping her arms around her hips, grabbing her ass. She put her hand on his head, tousling his rich, slightly curly hair. She gasped as his lips met her labia with a discrete peck and then a deeper kiss. His tongue ran along the length of her slit from bottom to top before teasing on her clit. She pushed his head back and made eye contact.

"I love you."

"I want to make you feel beautiful, Twilight," Night said, gorging himself on her nethers. Sparks of pleasure shot up from between her legs, silencing her protests. Her body felt good, even as a small chill crept into her heart. She thought of Hren, her griffon client -- but Night wasn't like that; he'd never please her, and a beak on her genitals would be painful. She sat down on the bed as her breathing hastened and her legs began to twitch. Oh, this was starting to feel good. Her hungry body was primed for the taking. She opened her lips and peals of pleasure spilled out. She heard telltale noises from down below -- he'd gotten her wet. Her legs wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him in. She was going to make him do something for her. Her hungry husband ate away at her like she was a fine meal of a mare to no objection from him. She hummed through her parted lips. Stallions were nice. She felt the jitters in his hands clenching her ass and realized that he was sustained only by caffeine and lust. Her heart grew a little colder, and looking down, she saw Hren again. Even so, every gasp of hers only served to make him go faster. Her hips started to spasm.

"Night, I'm- OHH!" Twilight cried out of orgasm.

"I'll make you cum for me," he purred, replacing his mouth with his fingers. "And just when you scream your loudest, my slut, I'll take you with my cock." He was reclaiming her, reclaiming her from the things he knew she did when he was not looking, things others may not understand. And a certain part of him felt simultaneous shame in her promiscuity, and arousal in being the one who got to fuck her raw and flood her insides with his seed while all those other stallions could only rent what he had for free and never truly felt her insides. She was his and he had to make her understand that. He could not allow her to for a second forget why she was HIS mare and he was HER stallion. Instinct drove him to claim her in that most primal of ways: rutting senseless until they collapsed with a puddle of spilled secretions and seed. He would be gentle with her, just not right now, not until he'd made her body and heart remember with a tremble. He had her how nobody else did, and she would never forget that.

"If you do that, I'll lose my m-mind." Velvet was trembling. Her husband returned to her clit with a vengeance. It felt fantastic. She trembled deep inside. She seized his head with both hands. "N-Night!"

Pushing her onto her back, he was over her now. She could feel him naked and hard. His cock was average in length and girth. He pinned her down and she gave her squirms.

He rubbed against her entrance with the head. "I'm going to make you all mine." Velvet wanted to say something, but didn't want to herd that particular elephant back into the room. She had to pick her words carefully, lest he be reminded that her body was a timeshare.

"You're the best.”

"I'll fuck you like nobody else can, like you need to be fucked. I'll show you who your stallion is!"

"Take me," Velvet beckoned as he pushed his hips forward, stopping halfway in, tensing and moaning. She moaned, too, and with just a twinge of pain in it. "Fuck me," she groaned, arching her hips at him, provoking him into starting back up again. She felt him move, and after several thrusts, got all the way inside. Now he was all the way deep, she could feel his tension. He was already giving little twitches. He needed her, and this inflamed her lust. She ignored the pain; Velour wasn't kidding about Adze being enough dick for three days.

Twilight moaned, moving her hips to meet his. her elegant, practiced motions contrasted his jerky ones. He clearly had not been laid the entire time he was out. He never said anything while he fucked her. Through her flames of pleasure, she imagined Hren again, kneeling between her thighs, treating her body as if it were meat. He didn't kiss her, he just fucked her like a mad man with only one goal on his mind: copulation. A whore -- money out, clothes off, condom on, sperm in -- leave. Adze was nice, Gleaming, too. Through her body's ecstasy, she felt her heart bloom from chill to flames. She wrapped her legs around him and fucked him back.

She felt him tense, clawing away at her back as if afraid to let go. His son had done that while emptying himself into her.

He pounded her frantically. He was breathing hard, snorting fit to burst. He was moaning, holding himself atop her, pinning her down, rutting her like a bitch in heat. As hot as it was, she could barely stop from wincing. She felt him quickening, hastening to his end. She hid her grimace and encouraged him. "Do it, don't stop, cum inside me. I'm cumming, cum with me!"

"Oh fuck." She could feel how hard he was. Her body lost control and she screamed.

"Night Light! Yes! Oh, Night Light! Make me yours again! Flood me! Make me your cock sheath!" He let out a deep moan as he surged one final time. His cock twitched as something hot began to vaguely flow into her. Twilight Velvet rocked her whole body, feeling his hard length hilt inside her. She cheered him, "Oh! Yes! Come for me, my husband, my love, come for me and only for me!"

He was cumming in her, just one of many. This session was ending, and it had been about him and him alone, just like with clients; her pleasure had been tangential to preparing her body for him, her feelings and words just to validate his. At least she'd orgasmed, too.

Night Light was overcome with pleasure and passion. Not even ten minutes home and he was giving all his love to his favorite mare. He fucked her hard, giving her what he hoped was a fuck to remember. Her walls caressed his cock, sending spikes of pleasure up his spine. He called her name, ejaculating into her in the mating press. He surged inside repeatedly, her milking him dry -- his bad little whore! She milked him dry, and by the time he stopped cumming, his balls felt empty to the point of being hollow.

"How was that? I hope enough," he gasped, kissing her, pulling his sensitive, spent dick from her folds. He kissed her on the lips and then fell forward collapsing from exhaustion into a dreamless slumber.

Velvet held him, panting from her own pleasure. Trapped under him, she sighed. "Good night, I guess. At least you're home." She snuggled with him, less mad than circumstances may have suggested. As the darkness leered at her, she wondered what would have happened had she held their son those two times she had used his body. She sighed again, wishing sleep would come. She and her vagina needed rest after the day's battering. At least he was holding her, something no client, no matter how good or regular, did once they were done with the service. Her husband was hers and only hers. He loved her, didn't he?

________________________________________

Night Light first brushed back against consciousness from oblivion with a distinct sensation coming from his body. If he had to guess, it would have been that it was lower down. Not quite strong enough to focus, he faded out, only to very shortly thereafter again awake to a very particular but not the least bit at all unpleasant feeling between his legs. Pleasure shortly began to creep in from around the fringe peripheries of his dawning awareness. His cock was engulfed in something warm and soft and very wet, and just slightly sticky, too. Hot puffs of gas washed over his crotch and tickled at his balls. He kept his eyes shut, awaking to find himself already quite supremely aroused, even in his very groggy state. His cock was at full attention already in the bobbing clutches over whatever held it in place. Golden light of the morning registered even though his shut eyelids. He heard his first sounds of that already very good day: suckling and slurping. His toes clenched and uncurled as a wet organ struck an exquisitely sensitive spot on the underside of his rock-hard dick. He murmured and sighed happily, reaching out with his hand to brush the familiar texture of a beloved mare's mane. "Good morning, Twilight." He opened his eyes to see his beloved wife, Twilight Velvet, sucking his cock. There was no better way to wake up, especially this early in the morning. He caressed her head, touching her soft ears and running his fingers through her straight mane. "MMmmmmmmm... Mmmhmmmm mmmmm... I am suuuuch a lucky stallion to have you as my wife." She answered his besotted, sleep-addled praises with a diligent kiss on his sensitive tip. "Oh I love you."

"I love you too, my husband."

"Celestia, how many guys get woken up by their sexy wives sucking them off first thing in the morning?"

"Not that many," teased back a mischievous Twilight Velvet before licking him from balls to tip.

She swished around her tongue all over the head, giving puckered kisses to the most sensitive spots on his cock. Then she gave him a devilish wink in warning before she took him all the way into her mouth with a single fluid motion down to the balls, not breaking eye contact in the second sexiest sight Night Light had ever seen. He moaned in pleasure, "You're incredible. I'm so lucky to have you, Equestria's best cocksucking wife." He could be kind and gentle now. He had given her one hell of a ravishing last night, and from her screams, she had loved it, loved him. He was her husband and what they had was special -- no picadillo or client could change that. He had her word the whole time, but in seeing her like this, he knew he still had her heart and soul and body. And now that was established, he could let his radiantly glowing feelings of deep affection show. He had a lot of competition to outfuck, and he'd done that, just like always.

She popped off the end, coming up for air. "Only Equestria's best?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"I feel insulted, Ni Ni, and I won't give you the only thing better than my morning blowjobs unless you tell me what I want to hear."

"Velvet..."

She giggled, letting his painfully throbbing dick stand at attention in the cool breeze forlorn and neglected when it had only just so recently been receiving all of the magnificent mare's luxurious love on its every inch. "Say it."

"Come on," he whined at his most dearest.

She produced her magnificent, large breasts and placed them around his dick. Their softness was heavenly, and only even more so, the pleasure immediately began to climb as she massaged his length. He touched her breasts, massaging and squeezing them. She winced a bit as he dug in his fingertips deep into the mounds and brushed something hard. He wordlessly apologized at her displeased expression and instead chose to play with her nipples. She gasped a little bit at his touch, her own silver face growing mauve with the flush of hot red blood to the surface of her skin. She smiled, seeing the effect her titjob had on her stallion. Though she would never tell him, he was bigger than Shining Armor between the legs. He was maybe just a little bit bigger in girth, but easily was by far the clear winner in terms of length, not that this was always a good thing. Penetration was awesome, the best thing after clitoral stimulation and it was a thing she indubitably craved, but there could be too much of a good thing. Adze Chisel was far on the side of way too fucking much. Her husband was about as much as she could take, provided he didn't take forever, aroused her, got either wetness sufficient or used lube, and didn't pummel her insides like a rabid heavyweight boxing champion. Shining Armor, however, had just enough to feel good, but not enough to wear her insides out or accidentally plunge too deep unless he really plunged in hard while she was very strongly clenched -- good thickness, too -- fucking him was easy and fun. She felt a bit of pain in her insides still from yesterday's round with Adze. Like that was going to stop her from seeing to her special somepony anyway.

Night Light did not know any of this and was just blissfully basking away in the carnal delights of her bountiful bosoms. "Mmmm, yeah, my wife has the best tits, so big and soft, and they're all mine," he purred, kneading handfuls of mammary tissue in his hands.   
His fingers and palms contacted her nipples, causing Twilight Velvet to shiver in happiness. The pleasure was building in his dick and she knew it -- that devilish grin on her wonderful face told him everything he could ever need to know about what she was thinking regarding herself, him, and what erotic treats lay in store in the near future for the both of them. He was starting to tremble and his heart was beating slowly but surely faster and faster, his breath and muscles racing, contracting a little bit with each stroke of Twilight's tits as they brought him ever closer to complete satisfaction.

"Feeling good?" she asked slyly.

"Ye-yeah," Night Light shook back, blushing. "If you keep this up, love, I'm going to cum all over you."

A truly evil glint entered her eye. "Now you don't want that, do you? Not after a month without your hot little wife to take care of you."

"N-no, I want to feel you from the inside."

"Like this?" Twilight took her tits away and resuming sucking his cock to a moan of his bemusement.

"No, I want your pussy, but your mouth is amazing, too, beautiful."

"How good do I make you feel? Say it and I'll fuck you right now."

"Twi..."

"Don't pout now, you know it's true."

He groaned, "Okay, fine, Twilight Radiance Velvet, you are the finest blowjob giving cocksucking wife in all of Equus."

"Thank you!" she chirped deviously, touching herself between her legs. “Now for your reward...” She climbed atop him, presenting him with the number one sexiest sight of his life. There she was with the head of his cock now placed into the opening of her pussy. Just one small downward motion and he'd be inside her heavenly depths. "Say please."

"Please."

"Now please fuck me my beloved wife."

"Please fuck me, my beloved wife."

"Now please fuck me my beloved wife with the best pussy in all existence."

"Velvet!"

"Oh fine, you whiner," she laughed, lowering her hips as he tensed in pleasure, his cheeks turning visibly very red from arousal at the sight of the single absolute sexiest sight in his entire world.

They gasped together as their bodies merged in pleasurable contact. He felt her slick, silky cunt engulf his cock all the way down to the balls. She was soaking wet for him, having had plenty of time to get herself going while attending to him. "Ffffuck," he exhaled with a big grin as he felt himself nestled deeply inside of her. He reached out with his hands and found hers. Then he interwove their fingers, holding palm to palm. Then she raised her hips and lowered them. "I want you to grind on me; let's make this last. Wait, you're not too mashed up from being Velour, are you? You up for this, Twi?"

She beamed broadly and leaned forward to kiss him deeply. Their tongues dueled. "I love you, Ni Ni." He hugged her back and kissed her some more. He kissed her cheeks, her neck, her collar, and her breasts. He bucked up slowly into her to compliment her own ministrations.

How lucky he was that this was his wife, a beautiful mare who was so wonderful as to love him warts and all and share her body with him in communion. He loved her, truly. He was immeasurably thankful for how she still came back to him with her very best no matter what happened, no matter her days, or how far his work took them apart. She was so patient and wonderful. And when he came back again, she was there to give him all the loving he could ever ask for, and he caressed her breasts before bringing his hands down to her tummy to just feel her warm body move over his, the fit muscles sliding back and forth as their mutual pleasure grew higher and higher.

He sat up and hugged her close to him. "You feel amazing, Twilight. You're the best mare a stallion could ask for. You feel so good on the inside; your pussy is driving me crazy."

"I'm all yours," she replied, holding him up for her hands to caress. "Are you getting close, Ni Ni?"

"I am starting to. You really had at me with that wonderful blowjob already, Velvet -- that's why I wanted you to be gentle, because if I'd taken you like last night, I would have cum in the first minute."

She smiled. "That's just one of the many fun things I have got planned for you, Night Light. No spoiling the surprise for what comes later."

"Then how will I ever find out what wonders my dearest lady has in store for me after she's finished milking my soul out through my cock, you terrible tease?"

She kissed his forehead, smiling sweetly, and she answered back to him, "Cook me breakfast once you come back from heaven."

"That can be arranged," grunted Night Light, clenching hard onto her sliding hips as his mate worked him ever closer to the summit of sexual release. "You feel ssssoooooo good," he remarked, hugging her tight, moving into a kneeling position. He started thrusting. "I can't hold back; I'm gonna have to cum soon."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Don't hold back," she said, kissing him even as she shoved her breasts back into his face, “I want to feel you cum inside me, feel you empty yourself into me. Night Light, make me yours."

He trembled. "Velvet, I'm gonna cum."

"Do it. Cum inside me."

"Oh fuck!" Nigh swore as his cock twitched and he grunted in overwhelming pleasure as orgasm took him. "Twilight! Twilight! Twilight!" he gasped in the fiery bliss of orgasm. He moaned his wife's name and claimed her hot insides again. Inside her was where he belonged. Wrapped around him was where she belonged. Thirsty for touch, he threw his head from her breasts and sought out her lips, kissing her ravenously, moaning into them to stop himself from screamingly loudly enough in pleasure to wake the whole neighborhood. She worked her hips on him, milking every last drop of her stallion's cum into her, eager to make him recall who his true love was. They rocked together in his climax until at last he collapsed backwards, grinning like an idiot. "I love you," he sighed.

"Breakfast, best stallion?"

"Gimme five minutes to catch my breath."

________________________________________

And so Night Light finished making breakfast for the both of them. He sat down on the couch next to Velvet, who was watching a soap opera on television. He kissed her cheek. "Heya, Vel." He nuzzled her. "I love you."

"I love you too, Ni Ni."

He sat down next to her. She rested her head on his lap, making contented little noises. "So, Twilight, what's going on around here since I was last present." He felt her tense with that question.

She paused before she answered. "Nothing much."

Not helpful. "Okay, so where are the kids?"

"Twilight's at Moondancer's."

"That's nice," said Night Iridescence Light with a smile. "I'm glad to see our little bookhorse and their little bookhorse are making friends."

"Eeyyyeeeaaah," creaked back Twilight Velvet.

"And what about Shining?" He felt his wife go stiff. "Vel, what's wrong? Is he okay? What happened?"

"Shining and I had a fight -- stupid teenage boy stuff. He said he wanted to go join a herd with Spring Sprocket and I told him he couldn't."

He looked down at his oddly stiff wife gravely. "So, where is he?"

"Ponyville, I think."

"You think?" He wanted to press her for more information, but he was too damn tired to really apply himself or think straight. He yawned, "Well, our boy's a strong one; he's 18 and there's no reason to doubt he can take care of himself, especially if he's in good company." He lay a hand on his stock still wife. "Velvet, what's with you? Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yeh, just upset is all."

"I understand."

"Let's talk about you!" Twilight blurted, suddenly becoming excited out of nowhere. She rolled to look up at his face like a rather oversized capricious cat.

Sighing, her husband let it go. "Okay, so what would you like to know?"

"Did you miss me?"

"Of course, darling," he laughed, leaning down to kiss her. He put his hand on her breast and she lay one over it, sinking her soft fingers in between his own.

"How long are you back?"

"Four days." She frowned. His smile faded. "What, it's twice as long as I was originally hoping for."

"You know what it is."

He sighed, "Velvet, I'm sorry I can't be here all the time. It's not because I want to be."

"I wasn't accusing you," said Twilight, "I just wish I got to have a relationship with you that didn't have to be put on hold for weeks at a time. I can't do this, Night Light!"

"What other options do we have, Twi?" Light softened his voice to not feed into his wife's justifiable anger. "I don't like it either, but things are tight as they are."

"I know that," growls back Twilight, "but that doesn't mean I like it. Is there any way you could I don't know work less crazy rotations?"

Night Light asks, "Then where are we going to get the money from? Kids are expensive and we've got two. Plus, we have this condo to pay off. Even if Shiny goes to the Guard and not to community college like we'd budgeted, that's a borderline relatively negligible expense to cross off. That doesn't begin to fathom the ultimate cost of Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns., not to mention the inevitable college everything we'll have to cover for her in just six years. I can't stop, Vel. It's not because I'm an asshole; I love you guys too much to deprive you."

"It's hard here without you, Night. I get lonely..."

He whispers, "Hey hey, I understand, I get lonely, too. I don't like being apart either." He fondles a lock of her mane from her face and smiles gently. "But where is the money going to come from? I know I make a point of not asking about your alter ego profession, but could that really pay all our bills if I took a pay cut, perhaps a substantial one?"

"No..."

"How is your business going for Velour, by the way? Nobody's hurt her, right? Been safe?"

Velvet looked sad for some reason. He chalks it up to the conversation. "I wasn't too tender to see to you. Anyway, It's going fine. I'm using condoms, being discrete, and keeping it away from the home, just like we agreed. Clients... not always the nicest, but I'm not being really hurt by any of them, nnnnnooooo..."

"Good," said her husband gratefully. "I care about you, even if I'm not thrilled about what it is you do."

"It makes good money, often at least a thousand a week, but it's not stable. And there's so much overhead with renting rooms, advertising, condoms, lube, and so on. And it just sometimes goes flat. It's really good right now, even a new regular, but I don't know the next time business will just dry up for Velour. She has a good table of regulars, but there would need to be, well, a lot more money to replace what you bring in if your side of the finances really drooped."

"What would it take?"

"Would have to both raise my rates and get significantly more appointments than already come in, and Velour has business most days."

"Is there any way she could do that?"

"Go on tour, I guess, or try my luck in clopfilms."

"Neither of which're gonna happen."

"Do you doubt me?" Twilight asked.

Night shook his head dismissively. "No no, just I know you wouldn't want to go on tour and leave our children all alone for weeks to months, and it's hard enough to get into clop movies, let alone at your age and condition."

Velvet wrapped her arms around her lower abdomen between navel and hips defensively. "I'm a mother of two, okay, that's going to leave some marks."

Night Light squeezed her hand. "I wasn't calling you ugly, dear, I think it makes you even more beautiful and arousing, knowing that your body, your wonderful, fertile body, has borne me my children, given me the privilege to know it inside and out."

"Night, you're being sweet," giggled Twilight blushing red, pulling herself up by his shoulders to kiss him on his stubbled jaw.

Her husband laughed, catching her to hold in place for a kiss on the lips, a kiss which she returned with passion and more than just a little bit of tongue. He broke free to smooch her breasts. "I can't forget that you have the best boobs in the city. All those other husbands with palty, flat wives, and here you are with these..." He grinned.

"Well, I have you to thank for them, my dear husband. God only gave me so much."

"Oh please, he gave you plenty and you know it -- more than a handful to start with. I was blown away by them when I first saw you."

"And I was quite taken with that blushing high school colt who walked up to a grown woman outside a movie theater and asked her if she'd take his second ticket to Batmare & Gryph-pone because he'd been stood up. So brave..."

He snorted, "Hey! How was I supposed to know you were like what, seven years older than me? My friend dared me to ask out the first mare to walk by and then pointed me at you. I had no choice."

His wife pursed her lips and slowly exhaled, drawling, "Sssssuuuuuuuuurreeeeee... and you just walked up to the mare with the biggest tits wearing a tight dress and a short skirt totally by chance -- you wanted me, admit it."

"Okay, I did, but I was scared as hell."

"Why wouldn't you be?" Velvet had a wicked gleam in her eye. "Don't you know I eat up stallions with both sets of my lips?"

"You're a predator, as I found out when the movie turned out to be ass. The best part of that movie was you, your mouth and boobs, wow, those blew me away. First time I'd ever seen breasts out in person. Half fried my brain."

Velvet hummed, "Don't you pretend you don't like them as they are now."

"True!" Night laughed, giving a playful smack across their top surface. "I think they really make you look a milfy MILF."

"Am I your MILF?"

"Absolutely, in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if I made you my M-I-H-F-R many more times this visit."

She drew air quotes. "'Maifer?' What's that, Ni Ni?"

"Mother I Have Fucked Recently." She felt him squeeze below.

She blushed, falling back into his lap, suddenly pensive again. "Hey, Night Light, do you think I could play a MILF in a porno?"

"I don't see why not..." His pupil dilated as he caught the suggestion. "It'd be a gamble, but if you want to try it, maybe I could come home to help with the kids more if it started doing well and demanding your time, but I'm just not going to take a huge risk with the family for a risky dream. We'll think of something."

"I hope." Twilight suddenly brightened. "Hey, wanna go around the city today?"

"Today?" Night Light groaned.

"Yes, today."

"Are these the surprises you were telling me about earlier."

"You bet," said Twilight. "First, I was going to go with you to brunch with a coupon a beer tasting at the Bare Fettock, then there's an open air concert at Galloping Green, then we could go around until dinner and then come home tonight for some more lovin." She purred enthusiastically. Night Light couldn't meet her gaze.

His shoulders sagged. "Twilight, I'm sorry, but I'm too tired. You know I am, I always am. I have just four days off before I go back to dealing with batty thestrals for another five weeks. Just please let me rest, tune out, and watch some TV, okay? I love you, but I just can't do anything right now."

Twilight Velvet got off her husband's lap without making even a single sound. "Okay," she said, surprisingly icy and completely non-emotive. “Just see your wife for the first time in a month and then not want to do anything with her."

"Twi," he started, raising a hand, "I do want to do things with you, fun things, outside the house things, but I'm just so goddamn tired after a month of six day work weeks on a nocturnal schedule. I'm just too out of it to really do anything right now, okay, I'm sorry."

She huffed, "Sure, too out of it except to fuck me twice, cook breakfast, and watch tv -- all things you wanted to do, but you can't summon the energy to spend the day with me?" She sulked. "I just wanted to spend some time with you, Ni Ni; I'm not asking for much..."

"Twilight..."He was interrupted by a shrill, metallic Ding.

Twilight Velvet looked down at her phone. Its ringtone had just gone off. Suddenly calm, she said, "It's okay, something just came up anyway. I'll see you tonight, Ni Ni, after I'm done working. Sleep tight or whatever. Actually, if you could get groceries and do the laundry, that'd be great -- Shiny normally does it, but his ass is MIA right now. Seeya later, love ya, bye!"

"Love you," the exhausted stallion sighed. This was familiar. Home was still home, just how he had left it last month when flew off on his trip. So much for rest and relaxation.

________________________________________

The air was tense. The dim, rented office was illuminated by the pale apricot glow of a shaded lamp in the corner, giving faintly moody, long shadows. The room was empty apart from a large, oval rug, a plush leather armchair, a big couch, and a glass coffee table in the middle. Twilight Velvet slouched on the couch, her chin in her hand, her thumb pressing into it with worry, her other hand hidden in the front hip pocket of her jeans.

Across from her was an orange mare with a rusty red mane and a little plaid flat cap. She wore glasses, a pencil skirt, and a tweed sweater, her appearance almost offensively inoffensive. She had an expertly balanced clipboard and notebook on the higher of her crossed knees with an ivory fountain pen in her left hand. She was looking intently at the mare behind sharply angled yellow eyes, down her longer than average snout through a pair of thick-rimmed, square, thick, coke bottle glasses. "I notice you said encounter instead of date or session, liaison, rendezvous, appointment, or even meeting. You have never used that particular word before to describe time with a client. Why?" the mare asked in her French accent, her voice neutral albeit high-pitched and more noticeably nasally.

Velvet paused. "Because it's not very often I see him, but it's also brief."

"Does he only pay you for part of an hour?"

"Not that; he pays for the full time, the asshole just doesn't use it."

The mare looked down her glasses. "This seems to bother you, Twilight. Why?"

"It's not that I hate seeing him -- he's punctual, pays, and he's simple to work on."

"Then what's wrong? Do you find him repulsive?"

"No, that's not it at all; he's a young guy, in great shape... he's a griffon soldier of fortune."

"So I take it you are very attracted to him?" asked the therapist.

"Yes," replied Velvet, "more than a little."

"And how does that make you feel?"

"Excited at the time, but afraid, too. You see, he is not a considerate lover, let alone person. He just arrives, pays, and then hammers away at me for however many minutes until he reaches orgasm, and then he leaves just like fucking that."

The therapist had a flash of realization. "Shouldn't that make him a preferred client? I mean you've lamented clients that are hard to please, demanding, stingy, make you emotionally overexert, eat up the day, get too personal..." Velvet couldn't help but give a sour look. "I thought you liked quick, easy clients who pay well and don't strain your energies."

"I do!" Velvet blurted just a hair faster than necessary, "I- but I- I just feel as if it's like a waste of what I, I mean Velour, has to offer."

"Do you now?"

"Absolutely. I'm an escort. I can do many things, I can be many people, I can entertain in many ways. I even charge for my time instead of sex. I love a quick bit as much as the next mare, Open Mind, but..." Twilight tapered off.

Open Mind asked, "Are you troubled; what is wrong about him?"

"Nothing."

"Is it Hren?"

"Yeah, that damned griffon..." It took Twilight several moments to respond. “Imagine if I paid you for your time, the whole hour, but then I just came in for five minutes, told you I was fine, recapped inane shit from my life, and walked off having told you your profession is bullshit. How would that make you feel?"

"If it would be what you needed, I wouldn't mind it at all, because this is about you, not me."

"Cut the crap!" Velvet hissed at the nonplussed psychiatrist. "You'd feel misused on some level."

"Perhaps professionally but not personally -- nobody who works in service can afford to take work or clients personally."

"I don't take it personally."

Open Mind held out a hand. "Then, Twilight, please continue with what you were saying earlier about this troubling client of yours before we worm our way into unproductive circle talk."

"I'm sorry," said Twilight Velvet, "I didn't mean to get angry at you."

"It's fine; far worse things have been said in this office. You wouldn't be the first to get a little hot under the lid here, be testy with their therapist, and you certainly won't be the last," reassured Open Mind with a kindly smile showcasing her braces.

Twilight composed herself, slipping back into her look of stressed boredom. "When he's done with me, I just think that this isn't why I got into escorting." Twilight Velvet stumbled to a stop.

"Go on," she encouraged.

"I feel like he just uses my body to masturbate. I love sex, I enjoy my work, and the parade of partners is I feel one of the perks. Most of my clients appreciate me -- talk to me, tell me things, seek my advice, joke with me, flirt with me, bring me gifts, caress me, ask about how I am, and pleasure me. I like that; I like the attention. It also gives me something to work with -- I can read them, bounce off them, and tailor my performance to them. Do they want me to be aggressive? Do they want a femme fatale? Do they want a... nn... um... maternal... uh... figure? Do they want me to be shy? Should I play a bimbo? Should I play an airy fairy artist? Should I play therapist? Should I give them an asskicking? Whatever they need is what I do. But him... I really can't describe it as anything more than him using my cunt to jerk off. It's like fucking a robot. He sticks it in, moves in and out at an exact pace, doesn't touch, doesn't talk, ejaculates, and walks out casual like he's just asked where the metro station is."

"I see. And that troubles you?"

"Damn right! Fucking him -- fucking him makes me want to cry."

"But you've told me in the past that you got into escorting for the money and that sex didn't really enter into it."

"I am in it for the money. That's why I keep seeing him. I even charge him double rate extra for him to do me without a condom."

The therapist adjusts her glasses before casting a faint shadow of a glance down at Velour's hips before scrutinizing her face. "But I thought Night Light set that as a condition when you started this."

Velvet's cheeks are dyed a deeper shade of silver. "I know I know, but he's a different species -- fuck me all he likes, cum in me all he likes, he can't get me sick or pregnant, so why not exploit that for a bit more money? And it's more intimate, too."

Her psychiatrist takes a deep breath. "Velvet, you really shouldn't lie to me. I can't help you if you lie to me."

"I'm not lying to you!"

"This is a safe space, Missus Velvet, you will find no judgement or exposure here, sworn by both professional standards and full penalty of the crown's law, but you keep on mentioning things like intimacy, romance, pleasure, and attention, all on your end. These things, as you have said yourself, are not what your clients pay for, no?"

Velvet groaned, "You're right. I don't know why I'm letting this bother me so much."

"From what else you've told me today, things with your son are rough, your husband is perpetually absent-"

"He came back!" Velvet interrupted.

"Then let's change topics. And since you seem eager to affirm you two are not apart, why not tell me about him?"

"Well, I didn't expect him coming home early. It was right after a booking I learned that he was returning soon, sooner than expected, actually."

"And how did that make you feel?"

"Angry."

"Anger? Really? From a mare who laments his absence in most meetings of ours?"

"It's complicated; I mean I'm angry at the inconvenience and surprise, but once he's coming back and I'm going to see him, I get really happy. But then he makes me want to cry."

"Care to tell me about it?"

Velvet took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay, but it's going to be graphic."

The therapist asked with a tad bit of noticeable awkwardness straining in her voice, "Are you and your husband bonking?" Open Mind was looking right at her, the silver mare feeling the yellow eyes like they were piercing her skin.

"I do when he's around." the yellow eyes eased off, "but Velour doesn't care. If it weren't for unhappy marriages -- dead bedrooms, bitchy wives, inattentive girlfriends, she wouldn't have a job." A scowl, shifted glasses for the faintest fraction of a second as the nose turned down to scrutinize her voluptuousness from hips to breasts again before hands patted their scrawny owner from top to bottom. "Sorry, does this bother you?"

The therapist broke eye contact. "That doesn't bother me one bit... this is your time and place to use as you need. I'm not judging you."


	7. Life in a Bottle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite fleeing from his mother and their sin, neither by miles not bottle, Shining Armor cannot escape it, as he is sought out by one who wishes to help him.

The white stallion opened an eye. It was peaceful for a moment in the tranquil white embrace of the sterile sheets of the dingy motel room. He yawned, his eyes lazily unfocused. Then they suddenly snapped to attention as he spied his mobile phone. He grabbed it with a brief flash of magic, bringing it to his weary face. He checked his text messages. He scowled when he saw nothing new since before he had gone to sleep. “Fuck.”

Shining Armor got out of bed and stumbled into the shower. He jumped in and turned it on cold. He jumped, jolted properly awake by the frigid water. "F-fuck," he seethed and shivered, waiting for it to turn warm. Soon it was warm enough for him to reasonably put up with, and so Shining Armor began to wash himself up. He had not cleaned himself up the night before after his escort encounter and had gone to sleep still sweaty and spent. The girl had seen herself out, or maybe he'd barely seen her out. He wasn't sure. There had been a spent bottle of vodka on the table right by his phone -- he didn't have a hangover for some reason despite having hit the bottle pretty hard the night before, and he didn't want to question his good luck in that respect. Spring Sprocket always had gotten the worst hangovers and from the smallest doses of booze, contrary to the stereotypical earth pony trait of being fully able, and even accustomed to drinking copious gallons of hard stuff with no real ill effects the following morning. Against this, Fletched Arrow had been a total lightweight, albeit one who was surprisingly good at faking being sober, provided he wasn't trying to fly. It was something to do with pegasus anatomy and how they were lighter, so they had less blood and tissues to soak up the alcohol. Or maybe it was something else. Either way, he sure could have used their company right then.

Spring Sprocket...

Fletched Arrow...

His friends...

He missed them. If only they were here with him in Manehattan, if only they'd come here, accompanying him on this flight from his problems in solidarity. He could envision the scene now. Fletched would be laying out a solid four dozen tourism brochures from the train station and trying to convince them they could do everything thrice by lunchtime while Spring Sprocket would argue bitterly that they should each pick three or maybe four things to do for the next week, taking turns in a rotation. He knew how that'd end up: they'd get drunk and watch shitty movies on the TV until they realized they were hungry and go looking for something like a burger shop or a pizza joint. Then they'd find the randomest thing to do and somehow end up having a way better time than they ever could have done at some canned commercial tourist trip. To have Arrow and Sprocket here to keep him company and raise his spirits with friendly insults meant only in the most serious jest... Wouldn't that be nice?

But that would require fessing up to his secret shame. He had been paying for sex. He had been having sex with his very own mother. He could not let that secret out; he would choose to die first. Even his best friends could not possibly understand what was wrong, even if they did know.

But instead he was here all alone. it was just him and his thoughts in shabby motel room two hundred miles from home. He had to leave home. He couldn't stay there, not after he and his mother had... And he'd told her... And then screamed at him... Even hotter water leaked from his eyes.

Shining Armor got out of the shower. He was done.

After toweling off, the young guy went back to the bed and lay down on it. He turned on the TV. It was not for the sake of watching it that he turned it on, or even to be entertained, but instead just to not hear the deafening roar of the silence in the otherwise empty room. His eyes glazed over and then shut closed. He didn't even really know or care about what the hell was on the TV.

When he was roused from his reverie, it was by rumbling in his guts. Fuck, food, of course he had to eat. He'd eaten, right? It had been, uh... more than a day ago -- he'd last had lunch, a shitty prepackaged train station ham sandwich with a bag of air containing some chips, went home, drank, had sex, passed out, showered, passed out again, and now was here. So yeah, he needed to eat. Shame. He could have stayed here until erosion ate away at the drywall.

The stallion got dressed. It took him many minutes, but it was done before too long. Shiny put on his shoes and leather jacket. He took inventory of his stuff. Wallet? Check. Phone? Check. Key? Check. All good. He took a look at his text messages before he stepped outside. Nothing new. He frowned. "C'mon, Mom, say something." He left.

Shining Armor walked up the Manehattan street on the Manehattan sidewalk, past Manehattan pedestrians. by Manehattan buildings, buzzed by Manehattan cars full of Manehattan ponies. Manehattan... Shining honestly did not like it. For all the music, literature, and film about it, he did not get the hype. He found it unwelcoming, kinda cold, and honestly ugly. Unending concrete, brick, and more than a fair bit of shabbiness. It was nothing like the elegant marble buildings and green spaces of his home Canterlot. And the ponies, well, he hadn't yet succeeded in making sense of them yet. They seemed to just inherently sound angry, even when they weren't, not that they weren't often angry anyway. Always in a hurry, often shouting, sometimes at him, occasionally cursing, never seeming happy. It was radically disparate from how things were back in Canterlot. There were no gardens here, no green, no coincidental patches of anything natural. It felt lifeless, artificial. And all the great, monolithic skyscrapers made him feel puny in their cold shadows. It was like walking around inside the ribs of one of those plastic skeletons they had in school for showcasing anatomy. His pediatrician had a real skeleton that had always freaked him out.

He took a streetside seat at a pizza place. If there was one redeeming quality to Manehattan, the pizza was reliably good.

He was full one pizza and two beers later, totaling up to fifteen bits. Fuck him, Manehattan was expensive -- the same meal back in Canterlot, outside of a boutique or bistro restaurant would have run at most 11 for a rock-solid experience. He made a mental note to flee to the boondocks next time -- a sleepy hamlet like Ponyville would let him stretch his bits much farther than a bustling metropolis would. As he sat there, he looked at his phone. Tons of messages and missed calls. None from his mother; hers were the only ones he wanted to see, yet those he also dreaded most. Her latest message to him had been five weeks ago, asking if he would prefer she got a lager or an ale while grocery shopping. He'd replied back with vodka.

He felt the call of lust. Curse his matured body and its sexual needs. There was one thing to be done. Nobody he knew could catch him at it, and nobody was going to care if he did it. Shining Armor went online and hit up an escort agency. Ten minutes later, he'd put in for a session with a young yet leggy earth mare. He paid his bill and got up to go back to his room. He had a date. To this end, he stopped off at an ATM. He was not happy with the readout on his account balance. Lower all the time; he couldn't stay here forever. He'd be bankrupt in a month unless he got a job or something.

Great, he could envision turning into a harsh-tongued, haranguing Manehattanite, scrubbing away at dishes in some kitchen, or putting up with unending streams of shit from retail customers. Fuck him.

Shining Armor made his way back and watched TV in an effort to pass the time until his scheduled sexual encounter. What an unsexy way to think of it. Second dripped by. Minutes crawled by. Eventually, the hour came. And then the hour plus one minute, two minutes, three minutes... The anticipation was starting to kill him. He counted his bits for the fourth time in the past fifteen minutes. Seventy-five. Better check again, just in-

Knock!-Knock!-Knock!

"Who is it?"

"Sugar Swirl!" a feminine voice answered back.

His escort! In that moment, he forgot his malaise and misgivings -- he was going to get laid! Shining Armor took a moment to power down his phone, then he rushed to the door and flung it open. Before him stood a cute mare about his age. She had a bright white coat and a pale, bright, bubblegum pink mane that glittered ever so slightly and curled itself into spirals over her forehead and behind her neck. Indeed, she did live up to her name! He dropped his donation into her purse and she nodded.

"Let's go to the bed," he said. She complied, clapping a hand to his ass. He ground his teeth. Velvet had been so aggressive with him.

He stripped naked and she did the same. The white stallion knew the drill with agencies. It was nothing like a leisurely lay with Velour. They were groping each other within seconds. This was fun. She had modest breasts, all natural. He estimated B cups. And as he felt her up, he moved his hands soon down her belly and to her ass. Now that was good. Her ass was big and squishy for a girl of her size and petite frame. The thought occurred to Shining that Sugar could walk right by someone in the street and they would never guess she whored. He clapped her ass and she hummed. She had a young voice, sounding about his age. Her hands went south to mirror his, and soon they found their way to his crotch.

She laughed, "Hard already?"

"You know it, baby," he answered.

She licked her lips. "Mind if I have a little taste?"

"Go ahead."

The escort turned around, presenting her ass to him, sticking the fine thing in his face. And while her client contemplating giving himself a mouthful of his escort, she helped herself to his cock, her warm mouth closing around it with a hum. Her tongue ran up and down his length. It was a tongue heavy experience... Velvet had done it very similarly. It felt nice and to not be unfair, Shining brought his face to her hips and returned the favor. He realized now that mare would never be his favorite flavor. Biologically speaking, pussy juice was pretty much runny, acidic snot with some bacterial cultures living in it.

Sugar Swirl immediately quivered. She was sensitive or an actress. He dove in deep, just striving to give her some pleasure before the main event. He realized he hadn't done cunnilingus on his mom -- at least she wouldn't take every single one of his firsts. After a few minutes this dirty little mare was quivered and moaning his name. He took that as a good thing and licked harder, lapping upwards towards her clitoris. She sucked him harder, getting a tremble and caress from him. She ground her hips onto his face, letting him drink her in and suffuse his nostrils with her odor. His face was slick with her juices. He was digging his fingers deep into her supple ass, very much appreciating the feminine form. The stallion contemplated letting her finish him like this, but he wanted pussy. The thought of being finished in the mouth reminded him of Eventide Velour.

Shining Armor pulled his face away, satisfied she'd had some fun. He said, "Let's fuck." He felt uneasy in the pit of his stomach. Intercourse would distract from that. Sex was good. Sex was fun. He liked sex. He would be happy if just he were having sex.

Sugar Swirl crawled forwards, presenting herself to him. Shining Armor leaned over to reach his table drawer and opened it to retrieve a condom. Putting it on, he took his position between the mare's legs, looking down her back. Face down, ass up, that was how she liked to fuck. "I want you," she said, wriggling her pert ass at him. He smacked it and then grabbed a cheek in each hand. Her mane looked alarmingly like Velour's from behind.

"I have you now," he growled with more genuine aggression than he cared to admit. He hilted roughly in one push after fumbling around her vulva a few times. Hot. Wet. Tight. Soft. Fuck, that felt good. She pushed back against him, encouraging his libido. He fucked her. She fucked him. Her pussy felt fantastic. The mare gave little grunts as he copulated with her fine hindquarters.

"Fuck me," she teased, twisting back to look at him. That look in her face... Shiny found it familiar. He smacked her ass, plunging in deep, hard, making her squeal, "Is that all you got, Gleaming Shield?"

He pounded her harder, smacking her ass repeatedly. Slap! Slap! Slap! He did it harder and harder. He was so excited. He felt a great heat in his chest. "You like that?"

"Fuck me!" Sugar Swirl yelled. "Harder!"

SMACK! SMACK! "You like that!?" Shining Armor shouted, ramming in as hard as he could. As he soaked up the pleasure, he felt his mare wince. SMACK! Then he dug in with fingernails. She was reacting like Velvet, tempting him to fuck her hard, teasing lust out of him.

He didn't have words for what he was feeling. He was horny as hell but didn't want anyone to touch him. His erection burned with an ache for touch, but the thought of a mare, this mare, any mare fucking stallion after stallion after stallion after stallion disgusted him. She was a prostitute, a professional slit on legs, just like his mother. He gritted his teeth, trying to stay in the present. But the mounting pleasure sent visions of old events through his mind anew. Him, his mother, so good, so close, so much pleasure. She wanted him, he came for her, and she hated him.

That. Fucking. BITCH!

"You like it rough?" he demanded.

"Yeah," panted Sugar. He seized her mane, feeling her immediately react with excitement.

"Wow, you really do."

"Fuck me, Gleaming!"

"Oh, I'll fuck you hard!" he spat, yanking on the mare's curls. She gasped. He tingled with pleasure. He wasn't going to last long. He was excited, burning with vitality and something else dreadful. "You like that, you bitch?" Why was he so nasty? Why couldn't he stop? They slammed their hips together. Her hot cunt struggled against his surging cock. So hard. So wet. So deep. So vivid! No, livid! His balls were tightening up. He was beginning to pant.

He rutted her. He yanked her hair repeatedly and assailed her plot, striking it hard. She whined, "Gleaming...!" That moaning, pathetic manner just enraged him. He felt on fire, like he was exploding from every point on his body. He gouged out her insides with his iron cock, making her moan in punishment. She was just so like HER! He couldn't stop himself.

"You like that, bitch?" He fucked her hard, shoving her head down. His hips drove onwards like crazy. The pleasure was getting uncontrollable. He was going to cum soon. "I'll fuck you hard!"

"Gleaming, ow!"

"Shut the fuck up! I'm gonna cum. I'm gonna fill you up, is that what you want? Is that all you're good for!?"

"Fill me!"

"You like that, WHORE!" Shining Armor screamed, clenching her hips, holding them together. Electricity coursed through him. So close... He hammered away at her/ She bucked her hips in time with him. He felt her getting even wetter. "Don't worry, I'll give it to you, I'll make you feel it."

"Aaaii! Gleaming Shield, careful!"

The stallion pumped into her like mad, snarling, "I thought you wanted it rough."

"Yeah, just watch it -- almost had the wrong hole there."

Shining didn't say anything back. His mind was elsewhere. He was barely paying any attention to Sugar Swirl. He was fucking her relentlessly like a machine. It was a frenzy of carnality and pleasure. And he was hating every single moment of it. He pounded her hard, practically punching her with his thrusts. Images of his mother in the same posture ran through his mind. Just like her, she'd seduced him, goaded him to fuck her, brought him to orgasm, been his mate when he was vulnerable. "Mom..." His heart twisted into a multiple of knots just as he dug his fingers into the supple ass. The pressure broke far below as he surged into Sugar Swirl, and finding his agony turned into rage, he erupted with a scream. "TAKE IT ALL, YOU FUCKING WHORE! TAKE IT! TAKE IT! TAKE IT!"

"Give it to me! I can feel you cumming. Deep! Give me the cum! Let me have your cum!" Shiny's whore pleaded.

"SHUT THE FUCK! UP! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU!”

"Fill your dirty little whore, Gleaming."

The pleasure overwhelmed him, and he roared himself hoarse as he clung to his mare, emptying himself into her, letting everything out. Semen flooded forth from the head of his cock as curses and insults vomited from his mouth in a flood. This wasn't dirty talk, he was furious. In that very moment, he could have killed her. "FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU!" Emotional pain and physical pleasure battled it out in an invisible duel that raged across his heart. Feelings he didn't even knew he had -- hurt beyond hurt, rage beyond rage, betrayal beyond betrayal.

"Fuck me!"

"I HATE YOU!" The lightning of pleasure faded, his cock began to shrink. Suddenly, Shining Armor came to his senses. His intensity went from two hundred to zero, and he collapsed backwards, feeling hung over all over again.

Sugar Swirl looked at him, fearful yet concerned. "I-I I... I... I-I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay," she said, smoothing it over perfunctorily, then sitting by him. They were silent. She sat too far away for him to lash out at. "I should've made sure you were okay."

"No, no," he said, "you couldn't've, Sugar. It's nothing you did, it's not your fault. Please, don't make me talk about it."

"Okay." He turned on the TV.

"Hey, pass me the vodka?" She did wordlessly, and he began to drink. He swallowed four huge mouthfuls before offering it to her.

She accepted. The rest of the session passed in a drunken haze, just watching television together. When the time came for Sugar Swirl to leave, she did it mechanically, almost skittishly. In his heart of hearts, Shining Armor knew he had fucked up. He'd been weak and lashed out exactly like his mother had at him, a piece of meat exploited for fleeting comfort.

He was the worst.

Fuck him.

Feeling like shit, he drank some more. And some more. And some more. He hoped to find some happiness in that bottle, but all he found was an empty yearning. Feeling ill, he stumbled over to the bathroom and vomited. Then he slumped over the size of the tub, vomited again, and then sank for the final time into oblivion. He awoke at some point to drink water, down four Aspirins, and slide into bed. It was still light. He went back to sleep anyway. He'd wasted days away here before, and he'd waste away some more.

Shining Armor grumbled softly. Somepony was knocking at the door. The oblivion of sleep was a greater draw than the pain of wakefulness. He turned over and threw the thin hotel covers over his head, how did he end up back in bed? He ignored the second knock; the first one had jarred him from his slumber. His ears twitched for a moment before he grimaced and turned over again to glare at the offending door. Whomever was on the other side seemed to not understood the message. A third knock gets him to rotate off the bed. As his feet touched the carpet, apparently the pony on the other side of the door had lost their patience. The polite knocking had graduated to what sounded like a closed fist hammering on the door.

“I’ve paid my room through the end of the week!”

The knocking stopped. “Royal Operations, open up!”

That got a chill running down his spine. The security in charge of taking care of the princesses. Why? How have they found him? He was using his own credit card, so they likely could have run a credit check and would know exactly where he’s been spending his money. “Hold on a second.” That apparently mollified them, so it was not some kind of raid. Good news at least, the worst thing in the world would be for him to be woken up being bound by an advanced mage with the room already full of soldiers. He pulled on his boxers and shambled towards the hotel room door.

Shining put his hand on the lever style knob and took a deep breath before opening the door. No soldiers in tactical gear, no mages in enchanted armor. Just one zebra, though the massive mare would easily make three of him. He looked up. “Is there something wrong?”

The mare pulled a phone out of the inside pocket of her suit jacket and dialed. After a few moments, she handed the phone to him wordlessly. He glanced at the phone, then put it to his ear. “Hello?”

“Shining Armor?”

Shining felt the blood drain from his face. “Princess Platinum on stilts!" he whisper swore. "Cadance?”

“Oh, I’m so glad they finally found you! Why aren’t you answering your phone?”

His ears flattened “I haven’t had it on much, sorry.”

“I want you to meet me.”

Shining glanced at the big mare. “Tonight? Or tomorrow would be better.”

“No, right now. I have a ride arranged for you; just follow the guard -- Staff Sergeant Poppy Lilac.” A click announced the preclusion of any debate. He looks at the phone for a long moment before returning it.

“I’ll get some clothes on.”

The guard frowned. “If you want to see the princess, take a shower. You stink.”

He nodded as he stepped back. The mare grabbed the handle of the door and closed it with her outside. His eyebrows rose as he headed into the bathroom. Princesses, in general, were not known to be the most patient of ponies, so he stripped quickly and hopped in the shower. He quickly adjusted the water and turned on the spray head, letting it flow over his body. He grabbed the little hotel soap, stripping the wrapper off a new bar. His body was quickly washed and he stepped out of the bathroom with a cloud of steam. A quick glance at the still closed door had him rooting through his bag. He didn't really have much for wearing to meet a princess of Equestria, so he settled on a pair of jeans and a red polo shirt. How long had that been in there? He shook it out to purge wrinkles. He walked back into the bathroom, scraping the condensation off the mirror to look at himself. It didn’t take him long to brush his hair and teeth, every so often glancing at the door, though Poppy Lilac seemed to have enough patience for him to get ready. He walked over and grabbed a pair of socks. He slid them on and pulled on his boots. Finally, he approached the door.

“Took you long enough,” the guardsmare said when he opened the door. She turned and walked down the corridor.

He smiled sheepishly as he closed the door and followed her. The elevator down to street level seemed quite a bit smaller with the nearly seven foot tall mare crowded in with him. He doubted that anypony under her guard was ever in danger. He tried to keep close to the wall without looking like avoiding her. Though the mare glanced at him from time to time, a knowing smile crept onto her face. As the elevator dinged, he nearly leapt through the opening doors, eager to be away from that claustrophobic feeling. The lobby was brightly lit. He looked around for any other guards. He saw none as he passed through the revolving door and out onto the Manehattan street. The guardsmare was right behind him and she gestured towards a short limousine idling at the curb. He stopped for a moment as the guard marched over to pull open the rear door. Shining slipped by her, sliding into the back seat. To his surprise, she didn’t join him, but instead closed his door and climbed into the front passenger seat.

As that door closed, the driver took over, smoothly pulling the limo away from the curb and into the street. There is no pennant flying on the fenders of this car, so it had to follow the traffic laws. Shining sat in the back, looking around, there is a bar in the back, along with the prerequisite miniature bottles of liquor. He pulled open the small fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. He had no desire to get drunk at the moment, he’s done enough of that already.

Minutes passed as the car wound its way through the traffic of midtown Manehattan while he drained a second bottle of water. The weather outside was quite clear, the sun shining brightly, the ponies walking along the sidewalks, many in shorts or short sleeve shirts n the height of summer. Contrary to their seeming carefreeness, Shining Armor could not let his guard down. Instead, a weighty stone was settled down in his gut. He had been summoned by Princess Cadance, all because he had kept his phone off like an idiot, thinking he could ignore everypony, royalty included. He’s just hadn't wanted to deal with home. He slid the slab of glass and metal out of his pocket and turned it on. He had to go do archaeology in his inboxes.

Hey, Shining, wanna hang out? Fletched Arrow’s texts always got a grin from him.

Another set got him to look up at the mare and stallion in the front of the limo. His dad shouldn’t be home yet.

Hey, kiddo, some problems at work, on my way home early.  
Then the next day: I’m home, Mom told me you had some issues with her? If I can talk to you about them, I’ll be happy to offer a sympathetic ear.

Holy shit, did Mom tell him about what happened? He looked at the text for a long time,  
then glanced out the window as the car makes a turn. He tapped the screen to bring up the keyboard. Hey, Dad. It’s all good. We’ll work it out.

He moved on to the next set, the largest by far, all from Princess Cadance.

Hi, Shining, I’d like to see you, talk to you if possible.

Shining, it’s been a whole day, and you haven’t responded. Are you okay?

Shining, I’m getting a bit worried, you’ve never ignored me like this. Please tell me you are okay.

I’m getting scared now, I know Canterlot is one of the safest places in Equestria, but there’s always an outside chance something bad has happened. Please, text or call. Even if it’s just to let me know you are okay.

Shining Armor, this is extremely rude of you to ignore me.

Shining thumbed through the messages, the stone in his stomach descending to somewhere in his colon. The last one sends a second stone down to keep it company and chill his blood to a superfluid.

I talked to ROC, let them know I’m worried about you. You had your phone off, so they had to track you down via your bank card use. You are in Manehattan? What’s going on? I’m really worried for you. When Staff Sergeant Poppy Lilac arrives, just please, let me know you are okay. I’m getting on the train now to come there. Please be okay.

He pressed the power button to turn off the screen and quickly put the phone away. She’s worried about him, yet she had sounded so oddly calm on the phone. Must be that royal bearing. He shook his head. He could feel from the change in momentum that the limo was coming to stop.

The zebra was quickly at his door, opening it with a flourish. She pointed in a direction and Shining obeyed. His boots rang on the concrete as he entered the building. The large mare moved past him smoothly and opened up the door to an establishment, a quick glance at its name got him to blanch further. He was one of the premier cafe chains in Equestria, known for both their amazing cakes and candies, their quality matched only by their astronomical prices, fittingly named The Chocolate Dream.

“Shining!” came Cadance’s voice. He gulped, going towards the alicorn. She stood up as he got close, and to his utter surprise, she threw her arms around him in a tight hug. After a moment of shock, he hugged her back tightly. The hug went on for far longer than he would have expected, but she finally released him and they each had a seat. She gestured, and a platter was placed between them. Tiny little cakes, four of them, sit there, every single one of them sugary perfection. Cadance picked up one and devoured the morsel, her eyes rolling back in pleasure. “Mmmmmmmmm.” She stopped chewing for a moment, gesturing for him to try one.

“Oh, I’m not hungry.”

“Don't make me ruin my figure,” Cadance jested. She looked down, swaying her chest from side to side a bit. “You want to see me in my bikini again, right?"

Shining blinked a few times, watching her breasts sway like that made everything else disappear to his mind. Wearing a cream colored v-neck top, soft and shiny like silk. With more than a hint of cleavage showing, he had to shake his head to banish the thoughts of rising to the occasion. He made himself focus on her eyes. “Cadance, I don’t think I have enough money to smell all of this, much less try anything.”

She rolled her eyes. “I invited you here, you really think you need to worry about costs? I'm a princess."

He looked at her for a long moment. “Really, thanks!” He reached out and grabbed one, popping it into his mouth. As his mouth closed and he bit into it, he nearly moaned; the warm fudge had spilled out of the little morsel of cake, coating the inside of his mouth with the sugary goodness. The shock of the temperature change, along with the amazing flavor got him to continue chewing, and in moments he’s grabbed a second one and popped it in as well. And he thought Sugar Swirl had been sweet!

“So, why Manehattan?”

He stops, looking at Cadance, who is looking at him intently. He opens his mouth, well, I had to get away from my mother, whom I’d just fucked, who had said that she hated me, doesn’t seem to cut it. He suffices with, “I just had to get away. It’s complicated.”

Her eyes narrow. She gestures and another platter is placed before them, she gestures again, and he takes another bite. She watches him chew, the bliss spreading across his tongue, “You know some of the pastries are enchanted here. They magnify the hits to your pleasure centers.”

He looks at the morsel in his hand. “Really?” At her nod, he pops it into his mouth. The entire world is quiet for several long seconds as he chews. This must have been one of those enchanted pastries. He feels as though everything in the world was right at that moment. Nothing could ever be wrong, nothing could ever go wrong. As the feeling fades he looks at her, “Wow, those could get addictive.”

“No kidding. I come here whenever my duties bring me to Manehattan.” Her expression turned serious, “You know, you’ve got to finish your intake process. You’ve talked to the recruiter?” He nodded. “You know what the requirements are for getting in the guard are.

He chewed thoughtfully, even being here, he’d been keeping up his fitness regimen. Pushups, situps, and long runs through the city. “I’ll be back in Canterlot in time for entry processing and final physical.”

“I hope so.” She gestured for another plate to be brought in. He looked at the pastries set before him --white chocolate seemed to be the theme here; every single one of the little bite sized pieces seeming to either have shredded coconut, or white chocolate drizzle.

He picked one up, shoving it in his mouth, looking at her. “So, I haven’t gotten much news in the last few days. Any good gossip I should know from Canterlot?”

She smiled, and for a moment that smile makes his stomach flip. “I don’t spread rumors, Shining Armor, I create them.”

He looked down to find a new set of pastries. “Wow.” Dark, nearly black chocolate covered every single one. He picked one up, inspecting it for a long moment before he popped it in his mouth and chewed slowly, watching Cadance frown at him thoughtfully. "Also, wow."

She finally spoke. “You know, I’ve never been good at the ice breaker questions for a first date.”

He nearly choked, “You enlisted your guard detail to track me down, you came all the way to Manehattan, and had me brought here for a first date?” He was incredulous, his bullshit alarming blaring loud enough to induce tinnitus.

Again, that predatory smile. “Of course. You know, being a princess isn’t the easiest job in the world. Let's just say you caught my eye. Do you honestly think that I suggested you go into ROC just to see you end up in Celestia's detail?"

“Why me?”

That got rolled eyes from her. “Well, duh, I like your personality, and I've had the biggest crush on you for like ever.” She looked down at the polished clean plate. “And your appetites as well.” To his surprise, her cheeks’ color deepened.

Yet another platter was smoothly placed before them at Cadance’s direction. She smiled at him as she took one herself and popped it into her mouth, him following her lead. "Is that raspberry? Oh, my Celestia, it’s amazing." He said breathily.

"I know," Cadance agrees. He sits there in pastry bliss for several long seconds, his eyes closed. He hears Cadance shift on her seat, “I want to know more about Eventide Velour.”

"Say WHAT!?" Shining choked, nearly turning blue. Princes Cadance helpfully floated a glass of chocolate drink towards him, from which he drank deeply. He very slowly ventured, "You’ve seen her?”

She shook her head. “Not seen, read."

"Read?"

"Let me explain. I was babysitting for your sister not too long ago, and your mom handed me my pay in an envelope. I didn’t notice anything about it at first, but when I got home, I looked at it, there was the name, ‘Eventide Velour’ on it. But what really bothered me, it was your handwriting.”

"...fuck..." The stallion knew how he was going to die. Shining sat there. For the love of Celestia, could his mom be any less responsible?

First his dad was learning things, and now Cadance, too? Was she going to do a TV movie deal with Canterlot Fresh Air before it all was said and done? He could only try to feel out these developments and pray they didn't lead to disaster. With any luck, Nightmare Moon would return any second now, letting him die with some dignity. "Are you sure it was mine?”

“Oh come on, Shiny,” she growled, placing both hands on the table, “If you don’t want to tell me the truth, I’ll just go.” She stands up, gathering her purse. As if by magic, a waiter appeared with a leather folder. Cadance started walking away, rising from her chair. The waiter shrugged and hands it to Shining Armor. The young stallion flipped it open and blanched.

“What am I supposed to do with this?” Shiny called, getting Cadance to stop and look back at him.

“I never said I would pay, just that you shouldn’t worry.You have money to pass around in envelopes, so you can afford a little lunch out, can't you?"

Shining looked at the bill. He wouldn't go bankrupt, but it was more than a solid week's worth or more of really good groceries. He had the money, but he didn't want to pay that much -- he could travel back to Canterlot in first class for what they were charging here. He watched Cadance sashay towards the exit, as she put her hand on it, he called out, "Cadance, wait." She stopped, looking at him expectantly. "I came here because of mare troubles.”

She released the handle, walking back to him slowly, “Okay, I thought that was the case. Is Eventide that feminine problem you are referring too?” He nodded, rubbing the back of his neck for a long moment.

"Eeeeeyeaah... And it's kinda embarassing and painful."

"Is she the one you had the envelope for?"

"Yep." He was turning beet red.

"Was it her at the water park?"

"How did you know that?" Shining demanded defensively.

Cadance laughed, "You just told me, Shiny, and I'm not stupid. I had never seen you out with a mare before, but then you are there with one, a beautiful one at that, next thing you’re reporting mare troubles and getting all coy. You’re so easy to read sometimes it’s actually kinda adorable, believe it or now." She turned around and sits down across from him, “Okay, tell me more.”

"I really, really, don't want to."

"I can leave you with the bill. And don't forget I'm the Princess of Love -- the romantic welfare of all my subjects is my duty, and trust me, I've seen some weird stuff. A tryst, some crossed wires, fetishes, or even an age gap doesn't bother me. You don't have to worry about me thinking you're some kind of freak."

Shining Armor sighed, "Okay, she's not my marefriend. She's my escort."

Princess Cadance didn't so much as blink. "Okay, so you're partaking in commercial sex and you're developing feelings, but you feel like you can't fall in love with her and the age gap would make it way too awkward? You've been gone like a week and fled two hundred miles just for that?" Cadance laughed and put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "Oh, Shiny, that's nothing. Everyone gets a bit emotionally confused sometimes when sex is involved. Happens to all of us. And there's nothing wrong with seeing a professional for some short time loving -- a full quarter of guys do it at some point or other."

Shining relaxed. "Really? You're not mad at me and don't think I'm a loser just because I pay for sex?"

"Of course not. There's no wrong way to go about sex if it's safe, sane, and consensual. You are following all of those, right?"

"Yeeaah," Shining wheedled back, half lying, remembering with a burning sense of shame how he'd very nearly crossed the line mere hours before with Sugar Swirl. He really did need to find some way to apologize and make it up to her, assuming he had not already been forever blacklisted by her agency for being a crazy, scary son of a bitch. If he had been, he could not blame them for it in the least.

"So, if you're just confused, my little prince, what's she done to make you feel that way?"

"I'm gonna need a drink if I am to tell you this."

Cadance made some hand signs at somebody out of sight. Shining clammed up again against the pink alicorn. "It's not her actions."

"It's not?"

"Not anything she's done, n-no, well, sorta, but not really, y'know..." His cheeks were on fire.

Cadance looked at him with a tilted head. "Not really. What do you mean?" He was quiet for an entire minute. "I can't help you if you won't tell me." Another minute passed. Somebody put a big glass of brandy on the table. Looking up, Shiny saw it was Poppy Lilac, looking as implacable as ever. "Drink up, Shiny. Thank you, Staff Sergeant."

The zebra saluted. "Yes, Princess." She walked again out of Shining's field of vision. So, she was behind him. He was well and truly trapped. Could he have expected anything less from somepony who was not born into royalty but instead had ascended to it by merit? No, he would have been an utter fool to think anything like that.

Shining armor chugged the big brandy snifter in one go without even the slightest trace of a wince from the burning liquid. The pink alicorn seemed to vaguely approve of his quaffing abilities. "So, unless you want to foot a bar tab, too, mind telling me what's the problem?"

No exit. Shining Armor braced for death's blow. "Okay, okay. Please don't be mad at me, please don't hate me, Cadance." He was begging with his eyes and tone, unable to meet her gaze.

"I won't."

He sighed, blurting out in a blustery confession, "Eventide is my mom!"


	8. Restarting at the Bottom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The secret is revealed at last. What will Cadance say? Will she help or harm? Will Shining Armor stand, or will he continue to run? And what of Velvet? Does Night Light suspect the truth?

"She's your mother?"

"Yes! I'll say it again, Madam Eventide Velour is my mom!"

Cadance pursed her lips into a thin line. Shining felt dread build in his heart. The dreadful secret was out now, and he couldn't retract it. Thoughts of adding 'just kidding' or 'gotcha psyche' chased around his head, anything to divert and avert the reckoning that was surely coming his way. So much for ever getting a date with Cadance. So much for ever being a normal stallion in her eyes. So much for having her sympathy. He wondered if he could make a break for it now, before maybe Cadance left him with the bill anyway to punish him for being a sick freak. Not only did he pay for sex, but with his own mother, too!

Princess Cadance sat up, fingers tented, drawing breath. Then, though Shining Armor couldn't believe it, she giggled, "I thought so, but I just wanted to confirm with you before I made any motherfucking accusations."

Shining's jaw plummeted, reaching terminal velocity, crashing through the table, the floor, and burrowing into the bedrock. He swore he felt the waves from the planet's molten inner layers. Princess Cadance had just heard he was an incestuous whoremonger and she was LAUGHING. no, giggling? "Aren't you mad at me? Aren't you disgusted, outraged, grossed, freaked, anything?" He quickly glanced up at Staff Sergeant Poppy Lilac. There was no such merriment in her eyes. He wondered if she was contemplating whether to supplex him or just snap his neck.

Cadance shook her head. "Shiny, Shiny, incest is surprisingly common in Equestria. When it's consenting adults, It's just an extension of love between family members. If everypony who kissed their sister or had a flame with their dad or experimented with a cousin got punished, the papers would be full of nothing but stories about incest. And don't worry about paying for it, either -- two consenting adults made a fair and mutually satifying, pleasurable deal, didn't they?"

"Uh-huh."

"So, what are you so down in the dumps about? You're not some freak, you're just a young guy who found company a little closer to home."

Shining wished he felt a sense of relief, but instead, he just felt a lump in his throat. He was going to have to tell her how he discovered the truth. How they'd gotten drunk together. How he fucked her, knowing he should not have, twice. How she'd punished him for his sin. How he'd ruined his relationship with his mother because he was a stupid pervert. "Cadance," he began, "I- Mom and I didn't just have sex, we did and said some things..." He wanted to disappear.

Princess Cadance immediately shaped back up. She was looking at him intently. "What kind of things?" It was a clinical question, no merriment, no puns, no teasing. She was reading his face but offered no comfort. "Go on."

That lump in his throat was threatening to asphyxiate him. He had to choke it out. "Whe-when I first had sex with her, I didn't know Eventide was my mom, I just thought she was some random escort mare. I saw her more than a few times. I guess, I guess, I guess, I should have seen the signs."

"What signs?"

"After that date to the water park, I found the same bathing suit at home in the laundry. I just thought it a coincidence, but really, I was just too stupid to notice. Same height, breast size, shape... I should've fucking seen it the first time we met; hell, just from her photos. But I'm a stupid pervert and didn't think anything of it. Then the truth came out." He wanted to cry.

"How did it?" Cadance asked.

"We were watching a movie together, drinking wine. She teased me, accused me of holding out on her about mares, got my phone, and saw the truth."

"What happened next?"

Shining flinched as he recounted, "Mom got mad, real mad."

Cadance held up a finger, stopping him. "But why? Didn't she know it was you the whole time?" Something lit up in the princess's eyes.

"Sorta, kinda, but not really, Cadance. It turns out Velour is her gestalt and she's not completely aware of everything Velour does, and I don't think Velour knows too much about Velvet unless they specifically trade information. So, by some oversight, she'd been fucking me the whole time as someone else."

The princess nodded understandingly. "I see... You wouldn't be the first, Shining, to have this happen, but this isn't what really made you run away from home, is it?"

"No," answered the stallion, "What made me run away was what happened next. She was disgusted, but drunk, too. She was mad, but she owned up to escorting. We argued. She dared me to fuck her if I really was such a pervert, if I really liked her body. And I- I- I-I couldn't stop myself. I-I don't know what I was thinking, okay!" He found himself yelling, tears bubbling at the sides of his eyes. "I just wanted to make her not angry. I swear she'd been hitting on me all night long, like slipping me peeks through her robe and everything. She dared me to fuck her, and I did." Shiny pulled at his mane. "I came inside my own mother. Raw. No condom. It was like being an animal, I almost felt like I was in heat."

Cadance took hold of one of his hands. "What then? Is that everything?" She was frowning, not meeting his eyes.

"No, Cadance, it isn't. She practically yelled at me to go away. I took a shower and fell asleep. The worst was later. I came home and she as waiting for me. Sober this time. She flirted with me and we ended up in bed. We did it again. We came together. I ejaculated inside her, balls deep, calling her name, holding each other close. I kissed her." Shining Armor took several deep breaths, but he was losing the battle. "I told her I love her as I came, and you know what she did?"

Cadance braced, concern butting into her frown. She gripped him more tightly. She nodded at him to go ahead. "She kicked me out of bed and screaming 'I HATE YOU'" right in my face. My own mother seduced me twice then yelled she hates me!" He broke down. "She hates me. She hates me. She really hates me, all because I'm such a fucking useless pervert! All I'm good for is getting drunk and fucking. That's all I've done since then. I even lashed out at an escort; I'm no better than her! I can't even face her, nor dad, nor Twiley. I'm such a fucking loser, Cadance! I-"

He never finished that sentence. In that moment, he saw rage on the alicorn's face. "Unacceptable. Un-acc-fucking-ceptable... That bitch, that fucking bitch...!" She was gripping him hard enough to hurt. She looked into his eyes, her own expression morphing from rage to compassion. "Shining, nothing's wrong with you. You've been treated very badly by somepony who should have known better. Whatever sins you've committed, we'll discuss those when it's time, but don't worry, your mom'll get hers. Abusing her own son like that! I can't say much yet because I don't have details from her but rest assured that we're going to have a very serious chat. You, me, and her." Poppy's eyes had softened. It wasn't stony disgust anymore, it was pity. Shining wished in that moment he would just disappear.

His eyes widened. "But I can't face her again, not after last time! Cadance, I ran away from home with her juices still on my dick, I still have the bruise on my gut where she hit me. I can't face my mom, not after that. I wouldn't even know where to begin!"

Cadance patted his hand warmly. "I know. That's why we're not going to talk to her."

"Pleasenotdad! Pleasenotdad! Pleasenotdad!"

"Not your dad, not Twiley."

Shining blinked confusedly, calming down. "Then who?"

"Velour."

He stammered, "But you can't just meet up with her -- she's in Canterlot, we're in Manehattan! She's got clients, and Twiley, and the condo! Dad won’t like his time with mom being cut short! And she knows all about it already; she thinks I'm just a freak like mom!"

"Relax, she's an escort, right? If she does outcalls and travels, we'll just make a booking."

"But it's so expensive!"

Cadance gave him a hard look. She then called out, "Poppy, please make a booking. Do a search for Madam Eventide Velour escort. Book her for a couple days here. Please list yourself as the client and handle whatever screening or deposits she requests. You have your phone, yes?"

"Yes, Princess."

"Good. If she demands an address, make it the local Shemareaton on Pawtucket.

"Yes, Princess."

Shining whined, "Cadance, you can't be serious."

Cadance turned her attention to him sternly. "I don't want to feel pity for you, Shining Armor. I care about you as a colt I've known for a long time, like what, more than ten years at least, and whose family I'm a friend of. I've felt and thought a lot of things regarding you over the years, but never pity. Don't make me pity you. I can feel compassion for you, I can feel appalled with you, I can feel anger for you, I can worry about you, but never let me pity you. You are too good a stallion to fall so low as pity. This isn't just my princessly domain, Shiny, what's happened between you and her is a serious problem for your family and I like you all too much to let this ruin what you had if you'll let me have anything to say about it. I can't fix it for you, but I can give you all the support you need to fix it yourself. So you can get on with your life, your mother can get on with hers, not to mention your dad and Twilight. I don't want to see your whole family miserable for this, and I know you don't either. If don't want my help just say it and I'll leave you alone to your own devices. If you want to deal with this your own way, I won't stop you. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."

He put his other hand on hers. "Thank you for your help, Cadance."

"Don’t thank me yet, we have a long hard road to travel to make this right. Now, we don't have to do this. I'm not going to make you; you have to decide you want to confront Velour and Velvet, and you're going to have to face them yourself -- I won't fight this battle for you while you hide in a bottle. I won't let you cry clinging to my skirts forever. This escape of yours cannot last forever. Do you want to do this? Are you willing to see this through to the end?"

Shining Armor didn't hesitate despite his tears. "I will. I won't just feel sorry for myself and run away. I can't let you down. I can't let Twiley down. I can't hide from mom and dad forever. Let's do this."

"You're being brave," Cadance purred.

"I'm scared, Cadance, of her and what's going to happen, but I'm even more scared of what'll happen if I don't get this thing unfucked. My family's counting on me. What kind of stallion would I be if I didn't show some spine and step up? And if I can't do this, how could I ever make it in the Guard?"

"You're a good stallion, you'll make it."

"I'm not even that good."

"Oh?" Cadance asked.

Shining wheedled, "Eeeeeyeeeaah, I've been spending the past week just buying sex and getting drunk."

"So?"

"The last girl I saw, she reminded me of my mom and Velour."

Cadance muttered. "You didn't hurt her, did you?"

Shining grimaced. "Not physically I didn't," he confessed, "but I had at her pretty hard and got kinda rough. I shouted at her, though."

"What did you tell her?" That businesslike bearing was back in the pink princess's voice and demeanor.

The stallion rubbed the back of his neck, not meeting his date's eyes. "I swore at her and called her a whore a bunch of times."

Cadance glowered, intoning darkly, "Did you ever do that to Velour?"

"No, I didn't."

"Why did you think it was okay to do to her?"

"I don't know. I just suddenly felt so angry. She looked like her, even sounded and felt like her. I didn't want to," he pleaded. "I had just wanted to try it a little hard, but then, I just felt angry, more like furious, and I took it out on her. I even screamed I hate you at her." He hid his face in his hands.

Cadance snapped, "And after you'd been on the receiving end of that! How did she react?"

"Well, uh, she didn't run, but she was clearly upset."

"Did you apologize?"

"Sorta, but just to kinda get it done with."

Cadance looked at him squarely and said, "You can be asshole, you know that?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry."

"Well," Cadance said dryly, "I don't need your apology. Before you go home, you're meeting that escort again and you're going to give her a proper apology. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Cadance."

"Good." She pulled out bits and placed them on the table with a metallic clatter. "I know you're better than that, Shining Armor. I won't tolerate that kind of behavior from my stallions; if you pull any shit like that with me, that'll be the last time you ever know what color panties I'm wearing. Anyway, no use raking you over the coals for it now. Bill's paid -- let's go. Take us back to where you got him from, Staff Sergeant."

"Say, Cadance, you weren't going to really make me cover the whole bill, were you?"

He didn’t get an answer.

________________________________________

It was the middle of the afternoon at the Sparkle residence. Night Light and Twilight Velvet were cooking together. The stallion wore an uneasy smile while the mare's mouth was a tightly pursed line. They were not speaking, instead preoccupied with their culinary tasks. The stallion was seeing to several stalks of celery with a paring knife. Twap- twap- twap- twap- twap- twap- twap- twap- twap! Night Light brought the blade down repeatedly on his green victims. It was stifling in the household.

Twilight Velvet was kneading dough. Her hands were covered in oil and flour. She was making repetitive, stereotyped motions. The mare rocked her body back and forth to use her weight to assist her hands in their task. Her thumbs jutted and crushed into the dough. She wasn't kneading it, she was more accurately pulverizing it as if she had a vendetta against all baked goods.

It was too calm -- tense enough for one stray anything to cut a bleeding wound in the air.

They worked for a while with no words, the silence between them deafening.

He opened his mouth. "Any news about Shiny, dear?"

"Nothing. The kid's MIA." Her expression was like stone. He imagined her as unforgiving, like some ancient carved matriarch, like a statue he had seen of Countess Antimony, the great-great-grandmother of Princess Platinum, immortalized in an eternal, tight-lipped gaze without warmth."

"Have you tried contacting Spring?"

"Why would I do that?" Twilight Velvet asked, not even pausing in her kneading of the dough.

Night Light chopped the celery, bringing down the knife hard enough to -THUD- on the wooden cutting board. "Because Shining Armor is our son and I'm worried about him. He doesn't miss a chance to hang out the little time I'm here. If there's any chance I can find him and talk to him, I'll take it. He hasn't been back to me on my cellphone. That's not like him, Twi, and I want to know what's up!" He saw a slight flinch followed by a lip curl.

Twilight Velvet droned dryly, "He's a grown adult. If he doesn't want to talk to us, he doesn't want to talk to us. The police haven't been around with bad news. He's a young guy in good shape; he can take care of himself."

"He is my son -- our son. Don't you care about him? Don't you wonder where here's been, what he's got up to?"

"I do care," said Velvet, putting up some odd expression, "but I don't fret over him. Would it help?"

Just then, a phone went off. Night Light pulled it from his pocket and checked. He smiled. "The boy's okay! He says he's okay and we'll talk later."

"See, I told you." Velvet smiled, too, giving him a warm peck on the cheek. He reciprocated with a kiss on the lips and a boop on the snoot. "I love you, Ni Ni."

"I love you, too." Ding! Ding! Another phone went off. Velvet retrieved it this time in a glow of magic. Her husband looked over at her, hopeful and standing on tiptoes. "Is it Shining?"

She shook her head, sighing heavily in irritation. "No, it's just work."

Night Light's shoulders immediately sagged. "Oh..."

"There's a call for a big booking."

"That's nice..."

"In Manehattan."

He looked over at her. "For how long?"

"Two days. That's a lot of money."

"That's also a lot of time..." Night Light sighed.

"So says the stallion who leaves his mare for more than a month."

Night Light ignored the barb, though the next several chops to the celery were more brutal than is strictly necessary. "But what about our deal? Velvet, when you became Velour, we agreed that we'd take care to not let it take over your life, to not let it impact us. We have rules, like -- we agreed that you'd have to be notified of big bookings at least a week in advance so you could make time, and a full two weeks for any kind of travel. It even says so in the ad which you asked me approval for." He took a deep breath and asked, "What are you going to do, Twilight? Who's gonna take care of little Twi?"

She answered, "It's two and a half thousand bits, Night, what do you think I'm going to do? I care about this family." She huffed a stray tuft of hair out of her face. "Besides, she's twelve; she can take care of herself for a bit."

"That's our daughter you're being so casual about... but you do have a point but what about Cadance? Does she even have time to take care of this byproduct of your latest little stunt?"

"Cadance is MIA, has been for a while. You know how princesses are. Don't worry, I will-" Twilight stopped, noting her husband's raised eyebrow. She considered speaking, but instead let him interrupt.

"Of course... I know exactly what you are going to do, love," he sighed and scowled. "I want you here with me, but that's a few weeks' salary for me, but it eats up our days."

"Always about yourself? Why is it that when you go away for months it's okay, just business as usual, but when I get an opportunity to earn a windfall for just a few days of work, it's unacceptable?"

He put up a hand. "Twilight, I didn't mean it like that..."

She ignored him, playing away on her phone. She announced, "I've accepted. I'll be getting two and half thousand bits for a couple days of work in Manehattan. They're putting me up in someplace nice, too."

"That's great, dear, but..."

"But what?" Twilight Velvet asked.

"I just always feel like I'm getting your scraps.” He stopped, his ears flattening to the sides. “It’s like I'm not being properly taken care of as a husband."

Twilight softened her posture. "What do you mean?” She turned to look at him, “Of course I care for you, Ni Ni."

"Vel, I don't see you for months, we don't even talk on the phone that much, and when I get home, you just seem tired, worn out, almost treating me like a nuisance."

She shook her head vehemently. "I don't."

"You sorta do, Velvet. You're testy with me, you get defensive. You like to turn things around on me. And this time around, you've seemed just more or less emotionally unstable. One moment we've spent all night and morning making love and I've made you breakfast. Next thing I know, I wasn't in the mood to go with you to someplace and you're storming out the door not even twenty seconds after making out all lovey dovey with you. My love, darling, are you okay? Is something going on?"

Her ears flattened for just a split second, but then, as if inflated from within, she popped back. "Nah, I'm fine. Say, wanna fuck, since it'll be ou- your last chance for a while?" She kissed him on the chest, then trailed a line of delicate kisses all the way up to his lips, where she opened up an engagement with tongue. She clapped a hand to his hip and trailed round to his ass, giving it a squeeze. And when he kissed back, she answered with a moan and pressed their bodies together, letting her generous chest squish against his. His hand brushed her cheek. Warm and soft. A nice stallion. And here she was, filthy, dirty mare, unworthy of the title of wife, leading him on, using her body to misdirect him from his more than justifiable unhappiness with her. Sex. In her life, everything came down to it.

In the end, every fucking thing in her life was fucking to fucking do with fucking fucking.

Bad day? Fuck the gloom away. Good day? Celebrate with sex. Bank balance looking good? Enjoy some leisurely sex with her husband. Need money? Get fucked for pay by a client. Marriage happy? Feed it with sex. Marriage unhappy? Distract with sex until she and him had forgotten what they had even been upset over to begin with.

Fuck her life.

At that very moment, there were a half dozen things and feelings buzzing around in her head, but she was going to flee them into her one safe space, the nearest bed. Velour was buzzing away to talk to her about the business for something or other. She was actually more craving culinary meat than stallion meat. Cadance had been MIA and a babysitter may need to be found for her daughter. She had to pack. She really would have been better served in talking to Night Light about their problems and maybe even their son. Fucking hell, she needed to book a train ticket lickety split.

But she wasn't going to do all that.

She was going to have sex instead.

'Great adulting, Twilight,' she snarked internally at herself. Urg, she knew Velour was going to give her a dozen earfuls when she finally let the gestalt talk. His hand was between her legs. It felt nice. In that moment, her troubles sprang a half mile away. She ground into him, breaking the kiss she'd been holding him in. "What do you want to do to me?"

"I got some ideas," Night Light said, sinking too his knees. As she gazed down over her breasts at him, their eyes met. He still had that shine she'd first noticed all those years ago, that astonished, abashed, eager, skittish innocence that was on full display that very first date. She fully expected him to say something along the lines that she should be gentle with him for his first time and he couldn't believe his luck to be with such a beautiful mare, not that amazed, happy, grateful gasps and declarations of love were uncommon in his languge of lovemaking. Night hooked his fingers through her panties and pulled, exposing her pussy. He never took his eyes away from hers. He saw in her eyes the mischievous mare who had made him a stallion all those years ago and had granted him the supreme honor of becoming a father with her. He groped her breasts, teasing, "We never did have lunch..." With that, he licked her slit from bottom to top.

She grasped at his hair, hissing in delight, "Eat up your special muffin, honey."

"Fuck you!" Night Light laughed, slapping her ass hard in punishing reprisal. She didn't mind one bit.

"Harder, Daddy."

He ignored that line. He hated it. He ate his wife without reservation, lapping up her juices, but most importantly of all, focusing on her clit. The resulting chorus and tremors told him everything he needed to know. He grasped her ass with both hands and squeezed, pulling her onto himself. Her knees buckled slightly, lowering down to meet his hungry mouth. This was love, one mate pleasing another for no other reason than it was enjoyable. He could not be there for her a lot of the time, so he would be make up for it by being as dedicated a husband as he could be during their limited time together.

The scent of her arousal increased and he plunged his tongue a few times into her vagina. Yup, she was getting very wet. She grabbed tufts of his mane and twisted. She lifted a leg and put it over his shoulder. Pros of that: he got even better access to her slit, even better reign to make her call his name. Cons: stability, his back, and on the tile floor of the kitchen, his knees! Yup, he was going to feel this later that evening. He made a note to draw a hot bath once they were done playing. Ow, that really hurt. He ignored the pain to bring her pleasure. From her tells, he'd be getting more than fair compensation soon enough.

"Oh!" Twilight panted. "Ni Ni!" Yup, starting to get close. He planted a deep kiss, then drew back and made out with her inner labia. Then he did the same with her outer, tracing their outline with his tongue. His face was slick with her. Then he drew up his lips to her clit. He kissed it. And sucked. And applied tongue. Hard. His wife quivered. His bride bucked, calling his name. "Night, Night, Night...!"

"Having fun?"

"Oh, yes, a little more and I'll be helpless against you."

He said nothing back. Her orgasm was close. He reached up with both hands and grabbed her breasts. Fingers found nipples and rubbed. The effect was instantaneous. He felt her chest contract and the thumping of her heart from through her sternum and ribs.

Twilight Velvet put her hands over her husband's and pushed, prompting him to speed up his groping of her breasts. She was so close now. Any second she'd cum. She'd stopped their argument, and gotten laid out of it, too. Well done her. "A little more, Night, I'm gonna..." Twilight braced her whole arm into the sink, one gripping her husband strong around the back of his head. "Yes! Right there! Just like that, just like that, just like that. Don't stop." Her body quivered. There was a sensation like boiling that rose from her loins to her guts and then navel. "Night!" she cried out, bucking her hips as his last loving kiss sent her over the edge. "Night, yes! Night, yes! Night, yes!" The mare shook and ground her pelvis against him, eating up the jolts of pleasure, letting her husband get a face full. Electricity danced against her nerves, her sensitive body on fire. Bliss! Her legs shook and she nearly fell, but she kept her balance on him. "Fuck me!" she yelled.

In an instant, she found herself turned around, both elbows in the sink. "Certainly, Twilight," her husband laughed from behind, kissing the nape of her neck. She was so wet. Instinct made her push out her ass to give her mate access. And as all animals did when offered a chance to copulate with a willing and desirable partner, he took it. His hands gripped hard on her hips to keep her in place while he lined up his cock. Then, he pushed in gently, but firmly, soon hilting. "I love you -- you feel like heaven." Then he began thrusting, slowly but with great pressure, savoring just being inside her pussy. She felt like silky, hot, wet euphoria all over his dick. She squirmed and moaned, still feeling the trailing edge of her orgasm with all its wonderous sensitivity. He reached around for her clit.

"FUCK!" Twilight screamed, jumping as if struck by a bolt of lightning, jumping what felt like a foot in the air and pressing onto him, biting her tongue hard enough to draw blood.

He withdrew a bit, ready to stop everything if need be. "Too sensitive?"

"Ya thunk it!?"

"Sorry. Stop?"

"Less touchey more fuckey." She ground her hips against him, letting this welcome intruder brush against her inner walls, savoring the sensation of fullness it gave her. He massaged her back, soothing her with touch, bringing her back down to earth. He made love to his wife, partaking in her body and mind. He soon had his arms entwined around her in a tender hug. He inhaled her scent and made a happy mumble. In spite of whatever troubles or stresses may face him, he could always find solace in his wife. Heh. In his wife. He almost chuckled.

Night Light was already excited; he knew this was not going to be a long fuck like yesterday's. He would still try to not pop in the first minute. He held balls deep, caressing his mare from the outside while he made himself at home. He petted her back, her nice ass, her shoulders, her generous breasts. He lay his hands on them and squeezed. He ground in deeper with his hips. Velvet's moan was slight; her sensitivity had passed. She stood more up to press more of her body against his. His balls make audible slaps as he fucked her.

He responded with more thrusts, going yet faster and faster. Soon, he was rutting her. He felt the underside of his cock scraping against a very nice spot on the front wall of her pussy. Her heat was immense. She was flooded from her orgasm. And being fully aroused, her pussy was like a silky sleeve that perfectly and effortlessly embraced his cock. He was not going to last, and he didn't want to. He wanted to lose control, to flood her insides with his essence -- give himself to her. He wanted to hold her close and strain against her body as his own was wracked with uncontrollable spasms with pleasure, making him cry out in euphoria while she received him and his organ.

His balls had stopped making their slaps; they were coiled tight to his body in preparation for the climax, his climax. He put his head by her shoulder, whispering into her ear, "Vel, I'm gonna soon..."

"I know. I want you to cum inside me."

"I love you." He gripped her harder, shuddering as she fucked back at him. "You feel so amazing. Be mine." He felt his heart could burst from love and excitement at moments like this. His genitals were primed to fulfil their purpose, just like hers were.

"I'm yours."

He hilted. She gasped, "Yes!"

Pleasure engulfed him without a word, instead making him groan deep as his cock twitched, sending a spurt of semen into his mate's depths. He clung to her, arms coiled around her chest, white knuckle hands clenching at her soft breasts. All his misgivings were forgotten in the flood of dopamine and oxytocin, just as was needed to ensure that this breeding pair stayed together. She rocked against him, milking him for his body's release, amplifying his pleasure. He released balls deep inside her, just as he always did, just as she always made him do. He bit into the side of her neck to stop himself from crying out loudly as her gyrations ran that nice patch of pussy right over the most sensitive spot on his dick, over and over again. He clung momentarily for dear life, instinct unwilling to yield anything. He pressed inside a dozen more times, letting his balls drain, her pussy flood, and ultimately go soft as he was expended. He kissed her cheek. "I love you. You were great."

"Always a pleasure, Ni Ni," she said with not quite a smile.

They got cleaned up and finished cooking. He helped her pack and then took a hot bath.

He stepped into the hot water and reclined. Ooowwww, fuck, his knees. had it really been worth fucking them up like that? He was in his 30's -- he wasn't getting any sprier or more resilient. He had still gotten laid, so it was all fair, all right, alright? He looked down at his penis. It was a shriveled thing, spent and depleted. He took the soap and washed it first. A bit of remnant semen and secrets had remained on it, but they were soon scrubbed away. And here he was, taking his time off, alone, without his wife. That had been a fun, passionate romp, hadn't it? Holding her close, groping her, making her moan, hearing how she loved him, feeling her kiss him.

He touched himself on the lips. Then he realized something. She had not kissed him after getting him in the mood. And then... Velvet had not told him she loved him, either, not even when he was on his knees, making her cum... He was still going to feel his knees tomorrow, too. Two days and three lays later, he honestly realized something that made him hug himself. Two days at home again. She said she loved him, cared about the family. And yet she hadn’t even said anything about caring for Twiley – what if he had to go before she returned? She hadn’t reacted as a mother should to her son being absent. And for him… sure they’d been having sex, but what about when they weren’t? His heart was not between his legs. Time and energy to do everything but have a heart, even for him. He magicked on the high nozzle to rain down on him, and maybe wash away what was going on in his mind.

He was going to have a very honest talk with her when they met next.

It was not too much later when he heard the door again. Was it her? Was it canceled? Oooh! It could be Shining! He got out of the bath and headed downstairs. He saw Twilight there. He put on his salespony smile.

There was one question on her lips: "Dad, where's mommy?"

________________________________________

"Really, princess, you don't need to do this."

"Poppy, grab it and bring it to me."

"Yes, Princess."

"No, it's not needed; I can do it myself."

"But it's so big, let us help you with that, Shiny."

"I never had a problem handling large packages."

"But it's so tight, I don't know if it'll fit."

"Uh-huh, let the Staff Sergeant help you with this load."

"Please stop, I can take care of this myself."

"Almost in..."

"Ladies!"

"Just relax and let us take care of you!"

"It'll fit, Mister Armor."

"You don't have to-"

"And it's in!

"Cadance, it's so tight, wow!"

"The princess is good, yes?"

"So much, I can't hold it! Cadance!"

"Shining, almost there, hang on!" Cadance's horn lit up and closed the closet door. "There," she said, 'I got it in after all. Nice work, Poppy."

"Thank you, Princess, that was amazing."

Shining Armor sighed, "I hope nobody heard that from the outside; I don't want to think what that sounded like."

"Like what?" Poppy asked. She grinned when Shining blushed.

He pointed a finger at her. "You know!"

"Know what? This Staff Sergeant knows nothing," Staff Sergeant Poppy Lilac denied, dusting herself off.

Shining huffed, "Argh, never mind. You know what I mean!"

"I don't."

Cadance interrupted, stumbling over herself with laughed, "Staff Sergeant, please don't make him squirm and blush all on your own; save some for me. And, Shining, Staff Sergeant Poppy Lilac here is an immigrant; she doesn't natively speak Pone. She really does not get a lot of our innuendos and wordplay."

"Yes, my knowledge of Equestria's wordplay and informal speech is, well, punderdeveloped." Eyebrows around the room shot up at mach 2. "Much of what I know from my native Zebrok just does not translate, but that is crab pinching mountain."

Shining Armor turned to the tall zebra and apologized, "Sorry I shouted at you, Poppy. Thank you for helping me get my load out- ... ... ... Fuck!"

The zebra laughed. Cadance laughed, "Even she'd get that!"

"Yeah, I walked right into that one," the young white unicorn stallion chuckled and smiled. He was reminded of bullshit and banter sessions with Spring and Fletched -- nonserious ribbing and joking between friends. How he'd missed this. He knew now he was in good hands. "He had to be more serious again. "Cadance, are you sure this is really okay? I don't want to cause any public embarrassment or rumors by sharing a room with you and I don't have to have this covered -- I've got money, I could be down the hall..."

She nodded, answering, "Shining, the press start rumors any time I'm seen within fifty miles of a stallion who isn't gelded. I'm a sexy young princess; ponies have dirty minds and love gossip. So long as I don't do anything that looks solidly unseemly, let them rumor. It sells more gossip mags off the royal printing press. In a way, I'm running this trip at a profit for the crown." She took off her long jacket. "Besides, so long as I wear this to cover my wings, they can't confirm it was me -- ROC nor anypony else is going to confirm where I was, with whom I was, and what my business was." She unfurled her wings, filling the small atrium with a feathery flomf.

Shining rebutted, "But, still, I feel bad about making you spend so much on me."

"Tell you what, you buy us dinner tonight and we'll call it even. It doesn't even have to be much -- take us out to a fast food ballpit, soda, and tendies burger joint, and even that'll count."

He shook his head. "Tempting offer, but I got a better idea." Cadance was closer to the bed than him. He advanced upon her, lidding his eyes. "Admit it, Cady, you've wanted to go wild for a long time, to do something crazy." She backed away from him, her cheeks turning pinker. "I've got a mind to show you a night of private delights."

"You don't mean...?"

"Yes, Cadance, I do.”

"You can't."

She fell backwards onto the bed, looking up at him. "Let's do it. Let's get room service."

"But, Celestia will know. What would she say about such shameless decadence?"

"I don't care."

"Shining, I don't do this very often; I'm not that kind of mare..." She cracked a smile. He cracked a smile. Their eyes met and then they laughed deeply. He pulled her up, still laughing. Poppy was fighting to not double over. After a minute, Cadance breathed out, "Okay, okay, that was pretty funny. Poppy, could you please go get a room service menu from the lobby restaurant?"

"Yes, Princess."

"And you, Shining, should go with her to find an ATM."

"Good idea," he said, following Poppy Lilac out the door.

An hour and a half later, the party of three was camped out on the floor. In their midst was arrayed a small feast. It was a variety of vegetables, greens, and some meats with a bottle of sparkling prosecco wine in the middle. Everyone had a glass and was enjoying themselves very much. Shining had his back to the door. Cadance had her back to the TV. Poppy was watching the door, her Shkyorpyumg subcompact submachine gun chambered for 9x17 laid to her side. She was out of her formal clothes at Cadance's request, her firearm positioned for accessibility, for even during meals, a royal bodyguard on duty never was unable to do their job. She was a muscular mare, imposing even in her telnyashka and silkies.

One the bulk of the meal was eaten, they had gotten to drinking. Then they got to talking.

"So, Poppy, come on," Cadance cajoled, "tell Shiny about yourself."

The zebra responded stiffly, "What is there to tell? I am only your bodyguard. I'm just a regular mare without wings or magic or powers or titles."

"C'moooonn!" Cadance mock pouted, "If not for him, I'd like to know a little bit more about the sexy lady who sees to my safety."

The zebra's shoulders sagged. She sighed, "Very well, if I must. I was born in a small town called Olozelombu; it means something like you would say "Gold Sand By Sea -- Golden Beach -- Goldshore. And I was born as Ngolatane -- Purple Red. So you could say... Nazali Ngolatane, na wuti na engumba Olozelombu."

Shining Armor asked, 'Why did you change your name?"

"Same meaning, different sounds. You try saying Ngolatane."

He opened his mouth. "Engullatayn."

Cadance giggled, "Engolatani."

"The princess is closer," said Poppy with a smile. When I came here, I wanted to be an Equestrian. if I had wanted the same as was tradition for my people, I would have stayed there, married, borne five children, but I wanted something different for myself. You may think we Zebricans are all poor, that we live in huts, but that is not true necessarily. My family was working class, my father a day laborer. We had a small apartment. We don't live in caves and think electricity is witchcraft."

"Never said you did, Staff Sergeant."

"Thank you, Princess."

Shining Armor spoke up and asked, "If you don't mind me asking, why join the Guard, though?"

The mare laughed, "That's what you want to know, guy? I wish I could say I am an Equestrian patriot, but after the history in my homeland, patriot is a dirty word and many evil zebras called themselves patriots. I join the Guard for the security, the steady pay, and the fast track to citizenship. My first enlistment as a counterspell technician ended, and I found myself suddenly twenty-two years old and a citizen of Equestria. I remembered the name of the princess who had signed my citizen papers, Mi Amore Cadenza, and I decided I would repay her with service for part of my life."

"That's nice of you, Poppy," said Cadance and Shining together.

She brushed it off with a huff, "Beh, it's just me showing gratitude. For giving me the life I have now, a life I chose, I feel like I should be willing to pay you back, even at a high price."

Another question popped into Shining's mind. "Are you sure you could, you know, do that if you had to?"

"Yes."

"How?"

She looked him full in the eyes and explained, "Every soldier must make a decision when they join the Royal Guard. They must make an informed decision before they sign on that line in the contract they are willing to pay whatever price comes in the line of duty, up to and including their life. And if they must protect Equestria, its population, its princesses, its interests, we are all taught to fight and win. Cadance has told me you want to join the Guard. When you sit with your contract and pen, you must make that choice for yourself. The price to protect what you love may be just a few years of your time, it may be your flesh, it may be your soul, it may even be your coffin. But only you can make that choice. Do you understand?"

"I think so..."

"Good colt; you cannot truly understand until you have faced it, and I am glad you have not. Nor have I yet needed under fire. May neither of us ever know."

It was Cadance's term to ask a question now. "Why do you have a gun anyway, Staff Sergeant, even though we alicorns are nigh goddesses?"

"Simple. It's faster and easier. I cannot use magic, but in our theory class, we were taught spells take time and energy. You have to summon energy, order it, place a spell on it, choose a target, cast the spell, and then wait for it to hit if it even works and they don't defend or dodge or resist. But a gun, it's fast and easy. I won't demonstrate with it because I am no fool, but I take it off safe while I lift it, aim it, and pull the trigger. While your horn is just beginning to light, I can strike you with a dozen undodgeable projectiles that only special armor and wards can beat. And now since you both asked me questions, I want to ask you a question. Forgive me, princess, for discourtesy, but how do you know each other?

Shining blushed, almost choking on his salmon taco. Cadance merely cocked an eyebrow, but beat down her frown and gave a short, musical laugh before she answered for them both. "I babysit his kid sister, Poppy. I've known him and his family for eight years now and consider them all good friends. I like Shining Armor very much, but he is not my lover, nor am I betrothed or promised to anyone for marriage."

"Forgive me, Princess," said Poppy, bowing her head.

"It's fine," Cadance said. "Anyway, since you already told so much about yourself, Staff Sergeant, I think that it is only fair if I were to tell you a little bit of something about me and who I am as a person."

"You don't need to."

"It's okay, Poppy, Cadance is pretty cool about stuff like this. I kinda can't believe you two didn't have any kind of talk like this earlier."

"Well..." Cadance wheedled, "I haven't really been alone one on one with any of my detail in a really long time, so it's been partially from lack of chances and part because I don't want to play favorites and make anypony, anyzebra, anygriffin, or anydonkey feel jealous; I have to remain impartial. I chose Staff Sergeant Poppy Lilac because like most of my detail is made of stallions and it just wouldn't be good to be seen running off for a weekend in Manehattan with just one of my guard dudes."

"What about the rest, Cadance?"

Poppy nodded. Cadance batted a hand. "Oh, I gave most of them three days off and checked in with ROC Manehattan when I got here. They're in plainclothes, checking the hallway, the lobby, the bar, and the perimeter. This is as close to alone as a princess can really get outside a castle. Well, anyway, I was wanting to tell a little more about me. Well, I'm twenty years old. Sorry, Shiny, but you missed my birthday last week. I've been a princess for five years now after I ascended."

"How did you do that, Princess? I did not know alicorns were made."

"Long story, actually. Annnnd, moving on, we actually went to the same high school, but we didn't really talk that much because I was a grade above him, and I think I made him tongue tied." They all chatted for a while longer, but the night was wearing on. When the food was finally spent and the wine was drained, Cadance put it out into the hallway for the staff to collect. When she returned, Cadance turned her head her way. "Is she coming?"

"Yes, Princess." The bodyguard then drew back to a respectful distance to let the two ponies have a certain degree of privacy as she had in the cafe.

Cadance sighed, "Sorry, Shiny, but time for a little bit more business before we turn in for the night."

Shining Armor looked around, his pulse instantly quickening. He distinctly did not want to talk about this. Not here, not now, not with her. Actually, never ever talking about any of the whole business in his life would be a good starting point. "My mom?"

"Velour," Cadance corrected.

He seethe-sighed, "Shiiiiit... I knew it would come to this eventually. So, what's the plan?" He really could not fight his fate; better to confront it after running had brought him nothing but grief and debt.

"Well," began Cadance, "we have her pretty much all day tomorrow and until early afternoon two days later. I don't have any specifics yet, so for the first part of the first day, I'd like to just see how you two interact, keep myself off to the side as much as I can and observe. Once we have data, we'll take her to a restaurant I know -- real good place but a hole in the wall. Discrete. And we'll talk you, Velvet, and Velour over dinner. Sounds good?"

"Sounds great."

"You really aren't looking forward to this, aren't you?"

He admitted, 'Yeeeah, you could say that, not that there's really any choice unless I want to spend the rest of my life running. Not that I can, not with dad and Twiley waiting for me at home, and not without trying to fix things with my mom first."

"She really messed you up good, didn't she?"

"Yeah. I mean, she seduced me twice, and the second time, kicked me out of the house, yelling that she hated me. How would you react if your mother did that to you?"

Cadance looked distant. "Not well..." She brightened immediately. "Anyway, got anywhere you want to try going tomorrow? Any landmarks you've always wanted to see?"

"Nothing really?"

Cadance shot a quick look at Poppy. "Really, Shiny, you're about to have an all-day date with three very lovely mares and you don't want to go anywhere, see anything, do anyone?"

He started. "What?"

"Do anything!" corrected the princess.

"Still nothing."

"Okay then. Staff Sergeant, anywhere you'd like to go?"

The zebra asked, "If I may be so bold, Princess, as to request a favor?"

"A favor? Do elaborate."

"Well... I have a cousin in this city, and I was wondering if I could visit her...?"

"Certainly," said Cadance. "You can see her tomorrow evening -- I can't spare you for duty tomorrow, but once we're back at the hotel, the night is yours until six."

"Thank you very much, Princess. I am looking forward to tomorrow and I shall call her immediately."

"And speaking of tomorrow, when is Velour scheduled to get here?"

"Ten in the morning, Princess."

Cadance looked at the clock and scowled. "Well, it's two now; we'd better get to sleep; big day tomorrow. Good night, Poppy, Shiny."

"Good night," the others said as the stallion killed the lights. He found sleep evasive.


	9. Real Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Velour has arrived in Manehattan. Shining and Cadance must discover what she knows if they are to fix the rift between mother and son.

Poppy Lilac watched the train come to a halt with the telltale rattle of a diesel engine and the screeching of steel on steel. A few years ago, when first coming to Equestria, the sound had hurt her ears. Hours on the practice range and acclimatization had made her not so much as flinch these days. She had never gotten over the diesel, though, as she had only experience with steam locomotives, growing up in Zebrok. She still expected the whistles and the clouds.

But that was not why the staff sergeant was tense.

No, she was tense, because there was nothing like a crowd to make a bodyguard feel besieged. Fucking hell, so many ponies, and any of them could bear ill intent towards Princess Cadance. Sure, the alicorn was in disguise, having cast a simple glamour to take away some of her less striking features, like curbing the distinctive alicorn horn, her wings hidden in clothes, her fur changed to magenta, and using a fake manehattan accent. She was waiting for a certain escort to arrive, Madam Eventide Velour. Every single second she expected the sonfucking madmare to emerge from the carriage; she had told them she was coming up in business class, third car of the train. There was so much to be said and so much to be done between her princess and that daft, good-natured colt she had a thing for. Poppy recalled some advice from early in her ROC career and had done her best to stay as uninvolved as possible. The real nice part of the day was still hours away when she'd see her cousin. She was on duty until then, and that meant scanning the crowd like a hawk.

For many minutes there was just the usual flow of ponies, old and young, male and female, with some griffons in the mix, but not their mare.

Then she saw her.

Madam Eventide Velour alit from her carriage, surprisingly spry for her age despite carrying two suitcases. They met eyes and Poppy scanned down her body. Long pink and yellow mane, generous breasts -- possibly enhanced to some degree for their bounciness at her age, average height, and a slightly bony face but an absolutely gorgeous hourglass figure accentuated by her orange and blue floral print sundress that exposed cleavage, with a skirt that fell to midway down her thigh, complemented by stockings that just barely came up over her knees, revealing a scandalous band of exposed flesh. Velour beamed and strode towards them. Poppy quivered a little within; not bad at all for an older mare, considering she liked them her own age or a bit younger!

"Hey, Vel," Cadance greeted neutrally.

Velour said nothing to her, instead dropping her bags right at their feet before approaching the zebra with a hug. Without saying a word, the candy-maned mare greeted her with a warm hug for a few moments. As Velour's face went into her breasts, her heart skipped a beat. Her body was telling her it had been a while. "Pleasure to meet you, Poppy," whispered Velour up into her ear before breaking the embrace.

"N-nice to meet you too, Eventide."

The mare laughed, "Please, call me Velour; Eventide sounds like some kitschy Prench perfume." The two of them laughed. Shining chuckled. Cadance didn't crack a smile. Velour turned to greet the stallion, cheering, "Aaaaanyway, Gleaming, honey, I haven't seen you in a while. What's the matter? Did Cadance have a change of heart the second time you asked her and has been keeping you all to herself ever since?" She kissed him full on the lips, applying tongue and hugging him tightly, causing her breasts to bulge at the neckline of her dress. Shining Armor kissed her back less enthusiastically, breasts squishing into his ribs, but still hugged her around the neck.

He smiled nervously, responding, "I didn't forget about you, Sexy, just been um... preoccupied." His smile faltered.

"Well that's a shame; if anything's keeping you preoccupied and hard up, it should be me." Poppy swore she heard the water in the air vaporize on the stallion's cheeks.

"Ah-hem!" Cadance interrupted, "Come now, Velour, let's get your luggage taken care of and then we'll see the city all together." They were walking now, moving off the platform and towards the transport loop of the station.

"That'll be my group rate, then." She was looking sternly at Poppy.

"Group rate?"

Velour nodded. "Yes, I charge extra for couples, triples, and more..."

The zebra said, "I'm sorry, but you didn't say anything about that on your ad..." Her eyes fished for Cadance's, who began to sigh and feel about for her wallet.

Velour spun around laughing, "I'm kidding! C'mon, let's have some fun. And nice to see you again, Princess."

"Good to see you, too. Poppy has a very good couple of days planned out for us, don't you, Staff Sergeant?"

"Yeah," said Poppy Lilac.

Cadance wordlessly handed a small bag to Velour. The escort smiled when she looked at what was inside. "Glad to hear it. So, what's the first thing you'd like to do?" She was keeping her distance now, behaving as both Shining and Cadance remembered from her date at the water park in the not too distant past.

Poppy didn't respond; instead, it was Cadance who took charge. "Let's take care of your luggage first, Velour, then we can decide what to do."

"Sounds good," agreed Velour. "So, taxi?"

"Actually, I'm driving," said Poppy.

"Ooh, even better, a private car," Velour remarked with a smile and a lidded look. "You know just how to treat a lady..."

________________________________________

"How is riding a Ferris wheel going to help us figure out what to do?" Shining asked, looking at Cadance.

The pink princess answered, "We'll get a good view of the city from up here so we can decide what to do later." The other three in the glass bubble nodded.

Velour, who was hanging close off Shining said, "Sounds fair. If you ask me, I say this colt here and I trot back to the hotel for some quality catch up time. We haven't seen each other in a while.”

Standing off to the side was Poppy, her arms crossed. "I thought you were supposed to be entertaining me, Madame Eventide," she said.

"Oh, I know, I know, but..." Velour lifted a finger to her lips, looking ditzy for a moment, "but it wouldn't do good for a princess or a ROC mare to be seen with a known whore hanging off them, now would it? Besides, Gleaming and I have just missed each other so much. It's been nearly a month since we last met and he hasn't kept in touch." Velour punctuated her last word by grabbing Shining Armor's ass, "And by the feel of it, he's made some changes I can't wait to test ride."

"H-Hey!' Shiny started, bristling her hand off him.

The escort just leaned on him laughing, "I can't help it; I get to know all my clients very... intimately... I notice, yes I do."

Velour danced around Shining's back, resting her chin on his shoulder and looking at Cadance. Her own mouth was curled up at the corners. Cadance's corners faced down. Twirling around, she got a glimpse of Poppy Lilac. The zebra was chuckling softly, but not enough to make wrinkles appear. They were presently high over Manehattan. Looking out over the city from the three-hundred and sixty degree view afforded them, the four could see everything out to the grand, hazy horizon past the edge of the urban sprawl, past the green of the outlying island boroughs, past the blue gunmetal of the river.

Ponies were tiny specks like dust in their vision, and the cars below were like little black ants scurrying about in their gridline patterns. And yet the tallest of skyscrapers still held them in shadow -- were they close, they would have seen that against the tallest, they would not even be halfway up. Curious birds flew about them, taking note of the strange, wingless visitors to their domain. Shining Armor envied Fletched Arrow harder than ever; it had to be nice being able to ascend to this lofty world whenever he wanted. He saw a slightly yearning expression on Cadance's face. Was she wishing she could be out there with her own wings, too, or was she contemplating something else? Poppy Lilac's smile drew wrinkles on her striped cheeks. Velour was pressed up against the glass, bent over, her ass stuck out at him almost teasingly. Had they been alone right now, would he have taken her in this moment? Would he have rutted her from behind like their animal ancestors in full view of gods and ponies? Would his instinct overcome his shyness? Her hips had a lovely curve, and some strange musk and taste on her had him feeling more antsy than usual. He did remember her inner heat... Just lift that skirt ever so slightly, and move his own hips forward... It would be raw, uncovered. Cadance and Poppy would see him fuck. They would watch him slide in and out of Velour -- his mother's body positioned in the lordosis posture like the first time he had done it with Velvet instead of Velour. Their spectators would hear their moans and grunts, smell their sweat and odors, and finally, watch him empty himself into her, reenacting their depraved mating for an audience.

But could he do that? The thought recurred to him, memory of his last two copulations with that particular body. They had ended unpleasantly. There had been pleasure, arousal, satisfaction, but then too disgust and shame. He had broken the gravest taboos, betrayed his own father, and joined his mother in sin. His father... Oh fuck him – no wait, don’t, not literally; he'd have to face that stallion sooner or later, and implode his world, informing him that things were even worse than they'd seemed. And here and now, in spewing into her his seed, the perversion of nature was evident -- completing the reproductive act, proving that the sex hadn't been for pleasure, that he had been almost breeding her, insemination. Shining Armor didn't know what his mother did to avoid pregnancy, but she'd let him cum inside twice, so clearly she wasn't worried about pregnancy. His blood froze. What if she had been tempting fate with her fertility? If her belly should swell... No, she couldn't've, shouldn't've, but the possibility did exist. What if he had impregnated his own mother? What then? What the fuck then!?

Velour caught the distant look in his eye. "Something wrong, Gleaming?"

"Nothing."

"Care to tell me?"

"It's nothing."

She leaned closer to him, getting right up to his face. He felt the tickle of her breath. "Are you sure it's nothing?"

"Yeah," Shining glowered back under his breath.

"Okay, just checking," chirped Velour, stepping away from him. She addressed everyone, "So, what would everyone like to do?"

Princess Cadance went first. "Picnic in Central Park if that's okay with everyone. What do you think, Staff Sergeant?"

Poppy Lilac said, "That sounds splendid, Princess. And after that, I would like to visit the Statue of Harmony."

"Okay, we can do that," said Cadance with a paced nod. She then turned her attention to the white stallion. "Where'd you like to go, Shining?" She was smiling.

The stallion really wanted to say something to the effect of a deep hole where he could be buried and forgotten, but since that wasn't a choice, he had to come up with something. "Bridleway, please, if nobody minds."

"I don't," Cadance said. Looking around the room, he saw Poppy and Velour both nodding quietly in approval. After several seconds, the princess finally recognized the prostitute. "Anywhere you'd like to go?"

"Bed," Velour giggled. Shining was watching her like a hawk.

"Besides that?"

"This really isn't about me, Princess, I'm here to satisfy with my companionship wherever it is you please."

Cadance grimaced, replying with deliberately measured and even cadence, "But you are with us, Velour, this is about you."

"Why? Are you going to have me shot?"

________________________________________

The party went into the moodily lit restaurant. Hole in the wall indeed, as most lighting came from dingy chandeliers, the ancient lightbulbs flickering ever so slightly in a manner reminiscent of oil lamp flame. The air was thick with the pungency of tobacco smoke from a host of slender-stemmed pipes, fat cigars, and scrawny cigarettes smoked by customers at the bar, some alone and hunched over their drinks like gargoyles, others talking in hushed tones in small groups of two or three, served by a donkey bartender wearing a heavily soiled apron and an eyepatch. A young, steely-eyed griffon in a coyote brown uniform watched them as they came in, peering over the top of his newspaper. Velour's eyes widened for a moment before she darted her head away. Poppy held his gaze and curled her lip. He jerked his head upwards and plunged it back into his newspaper. The floors were grimy linoleum that their shoes slid on just enough to change their gait, but not enough to make them slide. it was muggy, almost stiflingly still, the only air movement being provided by a dying ceiling fan, rattling and whirring up above, the originally clear glass of its incandescent bulbs long since dimmed and dirties by soot, smoke, and time. It was surprisingly quiet, but a deliberate quiet that ate sound -- the sort that conveyed a distinct dedication to not sharing one;s business and not prying as to others'.

A pony with a moustache and a seven string guitar was singing slowly, "Ot temna, i do temna, razmyslyaya o svoej sud'be..."

They were seated at a bench in the back away from everyone else by an aging griffon waitress with the warmth and charm of bucked of curdled milk. "I am Gianna. You sit here. I bring menus. Good to see you, Gospozha Kadenza. I keep you private." She stalked away.

Velour asked, "Cadance, are you sure this is a good place? It is quite shabby."

"It's good. The staff are old agents of the crown; they know how to keep secrets and not ask questions. The clientele's a bit rough, but this is the kind of place where it's weird if you don't keep to yourself, so we'll be fine."

"But I had thought a royal lady would-"

Cadance said, "Would what? Not know the value of discretion?"

"Gleaming, is she always this prickly?"

"Not usually, no," he answered, grinning at her discomfort.

The escort smirked as she opened her mouth. "Ssoooo... perhaps you are..." Cadance glared at her. "Nevermind..." Velour sulked. "I just hoped for something a little more... not scummy."

Cadance shook her head, composure restored. "Don't worry, the food here is great. And the clientele here all know to hear nothing and say nothing."

Velour looked at Shining and said, "I bet the meat is..." He raised an eyebrow.

Gianna returned and threw down four menus at them. "Take these men'yu, I return through few minute."

They didn't say too much while choosing. Velour was oddly drawn into herself. She looked from the menu to Shining to the griffon to Shining again before casting her gaze back down to the menu, hiding her lost smile behind the laminated paper. The primary sound was the pony on the guitar continuing to sing, "List ossenyj po vode, lyogkoj ten'yu v yasnyj den'. Po volne rechnoj skol'znyot v nene letyaschij gde-to samolyot. Glupo i otchayanno po nemu skuchayu ya. Znayu, zavtra ulechu, nu, a poka pobudu na zemlye chut'-chut'."

Shining noticed his companions' fall in spirits. "You okay, Velour?"

"Yeah," she said. "I just think someone here recognizes me."

Shining Armor followed her eyes over to the handsome griffon. Then he returned to his own menu. "O-kaayy then."

Cadance asked, "Is he making you uncomfortable, Velour?"

"N-no, not at all."

"Are you sure? Poppy can shoot him."

“What is it with you and violence today? Regardless, I think Gleaming is finding this far more uncomfortable." Velour sat up straighter, even as she lifted her menu higher again.

Poppy gave the stallion an amused grin. She teased, "What? You knew it on some level."

"Yeah, but it's kinda weird."

"Everything about this is weird."

"No shit."

"If it makes you feel any better, kid, clan drama back home could be just as fucked up. Stuff like ‘you fucked my grandmother, so she’s gonna bang your nephew, and in revenge, your nephew tag teamed my sister with someone from the next village over, so now my sister’s gonna bang your dad!’" The zebra smiled at him and he smiled in return. "You'll get it sorted in the end; you're family."

Gianna returned at that moment. "You ready?"

Cadance said, "Yes. Everypony else?" No objections. "A lemonade and a peetzer."

"Pitstsa s limonadom?"

"Yes," Cadance said, "Pizza and lemonade, Gianna, with pineapple like usual."

Gianna turned to the rest of the table. "You all?"

"Lager and fried fish, please," Shining requested.

"This lady would like some grilled eggplant and a dirty martini," Velour ordered.

"Burger and cola," stated Lilac.

Gianna said, "I got all that. If nothing else, food will be soon. Drinks sooner."

Sure enough, the drinks were there so fast it was as if they had been manifested magically just as the shansoneer sang, "Derzhit p'yanitsa stakan. Ofitser nesyot tsvetov buket. Pyos lohmatyj starika vyvel pogulyat' na povodke." Shining and Velour both stared into their drinks as if searching for their souls in them before they drained the first round. The upcoming conversation was one they did not want to have fully sober.

Velour kept trying to hit on Shining. He was shirking from her.

"Don't touch me," he said. drawing away. Cadance brought her hand down over his and intertwined her fingers comfortingly. He did not resist the younger mare.

Veloud cooed, "C'mon, are you suuuureee I can't help you? Take a load out?"

"Not at bad, still not great, not happy, but I'm coping, I think. Anything else I should know about mom? If you had to say there was one key thing behind all this, what would it be?"

"Oh that's easy. She just wants to feel loveable and loved. She isn't enjoying this any more than you are." Shining Armor looked down, contemplating his empty glass. "Are you okay, Gleaming? Are you angry with me? Do you want to punish me for being a bad mare -- whip me good? Spank me? Take me out into the alley and give me a pounding I won't soon forget?"

The escort tried to touch him. He pulled away his hand, keeping his gaze fixed on Eventide Velour. He sighed exasperatedly, "Cut the crap, Velour, I'm not feeling playful right now. I know you aren't her, but you have her face and body. I remember what happened the last time I showed that mare trust, and so do you. Forgive a guy for being a little on edge. And you constantly trying to seduce me like she did isn't helping. I don't want to give in, only for you to immediately punish me for it. I'm afraid of you. I used to trust that mare implicitly; I don't want to see her when I look at you, Velour. I like you a lot and I love having sex with you. I'm being vulnerable here. You once told me that you're a companion, not just a whore. Right now, I need you to be more than just a fuck. I need you to take this and take me seriously. I need your help to heal my family, and right now, I'm just a scared little colt feeling overwhelmed by everything. If you could be more comforting than seductive tonight, that would be great. Can you do that?" He hunched his shoulders, staring pointedly downwards as if suddenly fascinated with the wood grain and knots of the table. "Yeah, do more of the thing that got us into this world of shit to begin with. Ain't that a fucking wonderful idea." She tried to touch his hand and he smacked it away.

"Don't worry," said Velour.

Shining bared his teeth. "Don't worry? Don't worry!? Why the fuck should I not be fucking worried!?"

Velour's eyes dilated slightly, but she kept calm. "Because I'm going to kick my other self's ass and Cadance is going to help fix it."

"How the hell can you fix this? It's all fucked!"

"I don't have a plan yet, but I know my core self enough to tell you that she loves you and she loves her family. She isn't a perfect person by a long shot, but I'd bet my existence that her love for all of you will win out if we give her nowhere to hide."

"You better be right," he said.

"I know I am."

"I mean it. Look, I care about this as much as you do so we can be back to business as usual."

"Really? Really? Considering all you've done to egg it along and sleep around, I doubt that. She's my mother, she means more than any other mare in the world to me. She's hurt me, but I don't know what I'd do without her. She's been there for me all my life, ever since I was just a baby. She taught me everything I know, made me who I am today. I don't want just business as usual, or to have things just quiet again. She's my mother, my family. Fighting with her is like a wound in my own heart. This isn't just for convenience or business, this is some that has to be fixed or it's going to haunt not just me, but dad and Twiley forever, and it isn't something that can just be patched over and forgotten with a bag of bits or a quick fuck. Do you understand now, Velour?" His voice was ice. Cadance was petting him tentatively, but saying nothing.

Velour shook her head, smiling wryly. "No, you're right, I don't, but it's important to a good customer, so it's important to me."

The stallion sighed, "Thank you. That I can believe."

Gianna arrived with two large glasses filled with clear liquid. "Two vodka." She gave them to Cadance, who slid one to Shining.

Cadance said, "Drink this, you need it."

Shining shrugged before downing the booze in synch with Cadance. He looked over at Velour. Nobody said much until the food arrived, either.

As Gianna handed out the entrees, Lilac joked, "Did this meat bark or meow?"

The waitress quipped, "It asked stupid questions."

They are in silence for a few minutes. The food was very good, surprising considering the extremely shabby surroundings. Shining was surprised there weren't any rat paws to be found, and they had even filleted the fish superbly. The beer, however, was not so good. Velour was finding her booze not necessarily so great as well. Poppy Lilac was not bothered, long used to Guard field rations and mess hall monsterpieces. The mother and son continued their quest for intoxication through two more rounds of liquor. They ate their fill until Cadance said, "Staff Sergeant, I think you should check the perimeter until relieved."

"Yes, Princess, checking."

Poppy left the table while Cadance turned to face Shining and Velour. "Well, here we are," she said.

"Indeed," added Velour. "So, how are we going to have this little threesome of ours?"

Shining laughed hollowly at the joke, then he said seriously, "We could start with telling our stories in turn."

Cadance nodded. "Okay, so who goes first?"

"Gleaming should go first."

"Because I'll have the most coherent narrative?"

"Because I'm literally not around ninety something percent of the time and I can't demand information from Velvet, not that you'd want her here to fill in the blanks."

The other two nodded. "Good point," the white stallion said. "She's not going to know about this, right?"

"She'll know vaguely, but she won't get details unless she demands them. She already knows where she's gone and about Poppy, but not that you or Cadance would be around. We are deliberately compartmentalized."

"Okay, good." Shining Armor killed his remaining beer. "Fuck me," he muttered and began, "Velour and I first met after I made a booking. We had sex a few times. I didn't know her true identity. I didn't suspect anything until mom decided to try playing with my phone to find out who the lucky mare I'd been seeing was. She got into my messages and launched one back and hers went off. Then we fucked and it got awkward. We fucked the next day and she kicked me out of the house." Velour tried to hug him. Shining shied away, flinching slightly. "So I spent the next couple weeks getting smashed and debauching in a shitty motel room until you hunted me down and sent Poppy to collect me. Then you called Velour up and now we're here. Anything else?"

Cadance said, "Thank you, Shining, that could not have been easy."

"It wasn't. Thanks."

Gianna had been hovering a few feet away. The princess barked at her, "Pivo eschyo!" She soon enough brought another beer. Shining chugged it. Cadance turned her attention to the older mare still with them. "So, Velour, what's your side of the story? Do you need another drink?"

"Hah, as if," Velour laughed heartily, "I have no shame. Anyway, Cadance, it's true, it's all true. I took on Shining Armor, sorry, Gleaming Shield, here as a client."

Cadance interrupted, "Why do you keep calling him Gleaming shield?"

"Why do you keep calling me Eventide Velour?"

"Because it's the name you use in this particular aspect of your life."

"Exactly. And it's the same for him. Anyway, moving on, I popped this hunky little stud's cherry a couple months ago in a hotel room and started seeing him fairly regularly after that. Believe it or not, Velvet doesn't tend to take much inventory of my sessions. She may check up on me, make sure my schedule doesn't inconvenience her, see if I'm getting the money right, but other than that, she mostly lets me be myself while she, for lack of a better word, vegetates. She mostly just looks back on them as high intensity porno movies; they're her fantasy and masturbation material."

There was another interruption, this time from Shining Armor. "So that's why you didn’t recognize me immediately, and why she didn't know I was a client!"

"Uh-huh." Velour tried to close to flirt, but her younger mate was still evasive. "Velvet really hurt you when you left, didn't she?"

"Ya thunk it?"

"What did she do?"

Cadance intervened. "Sorry, as much as that is important, we're talking about your story at this moment, Velour, just so we can get all the facts out in the open, then we can talk nuts and bolts."

Eventide Velour yawned and stretched. She said, "As I was telling you, we were meeting regularly until my other self learned the truth. She kicked him out and has been simply horrid ever since."

"She hasn't been taking it out on Twiley, has she?"

"No no no, Gleaming, she's actually been doing her best to hide it from all involved. Not even your father knows the truth, but from how agitated Velvet was when she assumed my identity, I can only guess he's having it up to here with whatever shit she's feeding him."

Cadance added, "She's right, not even I really knew until I got it out of you at The Chocolate Dream."

Shining sighed visibly, sagging with relief. "Oh thank goodness! I've been beating myself up over if I'd left Twiley all alone at her mercy."

"Don't worry, Shiny, I'd do something if I thought little Twi were in trouble."

"Thank you, Cadance, you're wonderful." The pink mare blushed magenta and smiled. Shining asked, "So, Velour, what's mom been up to since I um left?"

"She has been trying to hide the facts of your absence. She's clearly told Twilight and your father something, and had been feeding lines to Cadance. Beyond that, it's been the usual -- errands, housewife stuff, sessions as me. She was even managing not too badly until your dad came home early recently. And speaking of protecting, I did try to convince her to let me be in charge during the last time she had sex with you, Gleaming, because I could tell it was not going to end well. But she insisted that she be the one to do it. She completely blocked me out while you two were going at it. I couldn't do anything, but due to her extreme emotional duress, I was given a live feed of her going ballistic at you. I watched her kick you out."

"Why didn't you do anything?"

"I can't hijack control of my core, Gleaming, although, trust me, if I could, I would have. I begged her to let me do it -- have her blindfold you and then let me wordlessly work you before returning control to her. I didn't want to hurt one of my favorite clients, but she just would not listen."

Shining was shaking. "But why? Why wouldn't she let you? Why did she insist on having sex with me knowing how it'd go?"

Velour hung her head. "I don't know. I really just don't know. All I really know is she's a bit predatory and likes to use sex to mask her real problems." Cadance nodded thoughtfully, her ears perking up. She saw Shining hugging himself, trying to make himself small, to curl up and hide in the corner of his seat. She gingerly reached out with her hand and placed it on his shoulder. He instantly spun round to look at her and then stopped, not offering resistance. There was a wetness in his eyes, but he remained strong. "Other me knows she fucked up big time -- the real question is if she'll learn before it comes back to bite her hard."

Shining asked, "Like how hard?" Cadance made eye contact with Gianna, held up two fingers, and scratched under her chin with three fingers.

"I'm not fixing to lie to ya, Gleaming, it could get bad enough for lawyers to get involved. Don't worry, not over anything criminal."

Cadance glared. Shining's mouth hung open. "Okay... okay..." Shining Armor muttered. "Things aren't as bad as they seem -- they're, uh... worse."

Velour approached him. "How are you feeling?" She reached out with a hand. "Are you okay?" He was bristling.

“How do you think? Not great, of course.” Shining shrugged.

Velour said, “I know, but I just wanted to check. I can’t help it; I’m a whore gestalt with all the depth and empathy of a teaspoon.”

Shining said, ‘I know. And look, I’m sorry I yelled at you earlier.”

“It’s okay.”

He shook his head, saying, "No, I shouldn't've done that. I can't afford to be that impulsive if our family is going to survive. I can't just take out my temper on others like Velvet does; I need to be better than that. I already did that to another pony not too long ago, and doing it again here makes it not a one time thing, but a pattern. That's not good."

"You're not a bad stallion, Shining."

He grew still, contemplating his hands with rapt attention. When he spoke again, it was almost like an unintended whisper that barely passed above the background din of the retaurant. "Thanks... Velour, can I ask you a favor?”

“Sure.”

“Could you stay with me tonight?”

"Yes, I can, for as long as I'm engaged, I'm here for you."

"Thank you so much, Velour." The stallion turned his head. "And thank you, Cadance."

"It's no trouble at all," both mares said together.

"So, unless anyone's still hungry, can we get out of here?"

"I second that notion, Gleaming. Princess?"

"Not quite. Just one last thing while my guard isn't around and it's just between us, Velour, why did Velvet take up escorting?"

The mare tented her fingers. She answered, "There wasn't one reason why she did it; more like a combination of factors."

"Well, why? Care to tell us?" Cadance insisted.

Shining said, "Velvet told me, Cadance, why she does it right before she had sex with me the first time."

Velour asked, "Volunteering to tell my story for me?"

"No, just want to know what your take on it is."

"LIkewise," said the princess.

Velour said, "Okay. Well, as far as I know, I was created because the family finances were tight. I was supposed to be a different mare with a different personality, mane, voice, history, and cutie mark. That way ponies wouldn't know who I really was and that I was a married mare with children. It would keep my core's family out of it to have me, a gestalt doing the dirty work. I was created to be fun, perceptive, wicked, and always keen for a fuck. I'm not a whole person; I'm a programmed part of a person purpose built for a job."

"How did Velvet first get into sex work, though?" Cadance asked.

"I don't know; I only know that I do it and why I do it. I don't know how it all began -- before my time and she hasn't bothered to tell me."

Shining said, "I can answer that. Mom said she started out just sleeping around for free until she got propositioned with pay one night. She thought what the hell and took it."

"Did your dad know?"

"No clue. He's gone most of the time; I doubt she called him to say she was going to go sleeping around and wondered if it would be okay if she also turned a profit doing so," he finished with a chuckle.

"Night Light does ask about me, though, as much as Velour seems to let me know. I think he considers me a sort of extension of his wife, so he's naturally concerned about me, even though we barely ever interact. She's never let me have sex with him. And during the second time she did it with Shining, she wanted it to be herself instead of as me -- Twilight Velvet likes to keep me away from her men. She even told me I wasn't to take on any new bookings with you, Gleaming."

Cadance silently mouthed something like 'I knew it!' before pondering aloud, "Very interesting, Velour. Looks like we'll only get the whole story when we talk directly to her ourselves. If you can think on her and maybe try to keep an eye out for anything or give us any assumptions or patterns you notice, that'd be great."

"Can do."

'And in that case, now that's cleared away, if you two still feel like we're done here, let's go."

"No complaints from me."

"Can't wait to get to a bed..."

Cadance pulled out her purse and deposited a fistfull of bits on the table. "Alrighty, let's find Lilac and get to the hotel. It's been a long day." She shouted, "Gianna, uhodim!"

________________________________________

Cadance closed the plug and then stepped into the tub before reclining. Shower bath, a truly underrated improvisation. With the blast of water massaging her belly, breasts, and thighs while the tub filled with warm water to soothe her cramped wings, she felt some stress leave, but still the water did not extinguish her anger. She had to tell herself that her anger was directed at Velvet and not Velour. But still, same body. She was still angry from learning two days ago what Velvet had done to Shining. It was not inconceivable that she'd give the bitch a good crack on the jaw. She was still pissed at Velour, but in a much more mild, irked, uncomfortable way. Who the hell did she think she was? Flirting like that with Shining in front of her, acting like a total bimbo one second before dropping the act to ask if she was going to be shot, and then prancing about some more as if it'd never happened. The mare and her staff sergeant has asked for some alone time. Cadance had granted it for tomorrow; she needed to spend some time alone with Shining anyway. She knew she wasn't supposed to judge, but something about her just rubbed her the wrong way. She knew all the reasons why she was whoring, and they were sympathetic ones, but there she was, practically taunting that she'd been banging her crush, who was not even half her age, and on another level, her very own son.

She had no claim over Shining, but there was something deeply galling about the way Velour and Velvet had been toying with him. She sulked. The thought of those two, him calling that whore's name, her accepting all his affection...

Cadance shut her eyes and looked upwards, stretching out her wings and legs. Her body was in a receptive pose. One of her hands found its way down to her pussy, the other to her chest. Hot, so hot! She could almost imagine it, Shining Armor looking down at her, his face close, a pink blush showing through his white fur. He was going to make her his mare. She could envision his weight pressing on the insides of her thighs, imagine his kiss on her lips and neck and breasts. She would open her legs even wider and press against him. He would go inside her. He would kiss her again and begin thrusting. She would kiss him back and grip at his back, clawing at him as the pleasure intensified. So hard... so wet... so hot... She imagined just what he'd sound like, saying her name, how he loved her, how aroused he was, how amazing she felt. Then he'd tell her how he was getting close and ask if he could cum inside. She'd answer him yes and fuck him back harder, clawing at his shoulder blades. They'd kiss.

Then he'd try to call her name, straining it out before grunting it all at once. "Cadance!" Shining would groan, hilting inside her, cock twitching, and she'd wrap around him, locking him in with her legs. "Don't stop, Shining, I want you." Her hips bucked for real, her nerves of fire. Her higher hand went to her mouth, the other playing with her vulva. Pleasured ravaged the mare through her fantasies. He'd groan loudly as he gave himself to her, and she'd rock her hips to milk his load He would barely manage to pant how he loved her before she shut him up with a kiss, letting him moan directly into her mouth as their tongues waged a battle for dominance, surging above as their genitals did below.

Finally, he would pull out and flop down beside her and hug her, maybe fondle her breasts happily. He'd kiss her and tell her how great it was and how much he loved her. She'd snuggle in his embrace. She would feel cooling below as his seed spilled from her sated folds. She would have him and he would have her. Then... Cadance didn't know. Maybe they'd nap. Maybe they'd cuddle. Maybe they'd talk. Maybe they'd watch a movie. Maybe they'd go for pizza.

She sighed, "I need to get laid." Her fingers hugged at her chest, then she trailed down to finally brush against her thighs. She sighed discontentedly as she stared at the empty space between them.

Still, the quick masturbation session had done her some good. Cadance sighed, "That's better." Velour wasn't so bad, or so it seemed now. A slight feeling in the pit of her stomach indicated she had probably been a bit too harsh on her, all things considered. It wasn't like she was even necessarily a bad mare. Yet how was she going to get Shining Armor to be hers? Would he even go for her? Was she in the friendzone? Would he be intimidated by her power and status as princess? Then some practical questions hit. Could she even accept him, politically and socially speaking, as her mate? Princess Cadance was not happy to admit to herself that she did not know the answers.

She stood up, drained the tub, and got dry. Then she put on the sweats she had walked in with. She looked at herself in the mirror after defogging it with her palm. Not bad; bright eyes, warm smile, mane that swirl jauntily, no blemishes, tall, elegant, buxom -- honestly beautiful.

Cadance left the bathroom with a smile, which fell the moment she turned left to look towards the bed.

"Cady, welcome back!" Velour smiled, having caught the pink princess out of the corner of her eye.

"C-Cadance!" Shining Armor blanched.

"Heyyyyy..." Cadance waved weakly at them. She glared at the whore. "Could you not?"

Velour laughed, "Wanna join?" Shining tried to say something, but she shushed him. "Keep fuckin' me, you're making me feel so good." Cadance's mouth flapped open. She tried to look way, but could not for love or money make herself stop watching. Shining Armor again turned his head her way, but Velour took hold of his chin delicately and redirected his gaze back at her. "I won't hurt you. Keep fucking me -- don't worry, I think she wants to watch. Let her see what a strong man you are so she knows just what she's missing."

Cadance couldn't speak. She could only watch as Shining fucked Velour, him standing up, her seated on the edge of the bed, her legs spread wide to welcome him in. Their bodies were slapping together hard and fast, their pace furious. Despite Eventide's efforts at making this a close and intimate session, Cadance saw something: Shining wasn't kissing her, he wasn't caressing her, he wasn't talking to her. Hell, he wasn't even holding her particularly close.

He was just having sex with her.

That tightness in Cadance's chest released ever so slightly. She saw something in his motion. He wasn't clutching onto Velour, he was not clinging to her like she had feared. Heat bubbled up within the young princess's core. The sight of copulation aroused instincts in her, made her feel that familiar heat again permeating out from her loins. A hand went down, but did not go inside her pants, yet she rubbed herself through them. That felt nice.

She had never seen others having sex before, at least not in real life. It was almost artistically grotesque to watch other fuck in front of her without the flattery of perfect bodies, professional lighting, a choreographer, a director, and more.

Eventide Velour's hips rocked in time with Shining Armor's. She was letting him fuck her. The mare hung off the stallions neck in a distant embrace. Cadance envied her -- his body must feel so good. Of course, she was escorting, so how much of the scandalous sexual spectacle was real and how much of it was performance? Was it kayfabe, a performance so comprehensive and persistent that the performance and the performer could not be distinguished? Looking around, Cadance saw a bottle of lube and a box of condoms.

They continued to fuck. They could not have been going at it for very long when she walked in. How long had she bathed?

His hips kept meeting hers. Their bodies slapped together. Both of them were pink and flushed. She could smell the swear and juices. His thrusts were getting faster and faster. His mouth was starting to hang open, and he looked down from her face to her body. Velour urged him, "Good boy, don't stop until you cum." His hands rose from her hips to her breasts. He squeezed and twisted gently, kneading into them. "Oh, you make me feel so good."

"Velour..."

Cadance felt a knot of jealousy. "Gleaming?"

"I'm not gonna last."

"I know. Don't stop."

"Velour." He was panting now. She was looking at the ceiling, leaning back to pull him on top of her, to encourage his instincts, to let gravity help pull him deeper inside. He leaned back. "I'm about to cum."

Velour sat back up again, body paralel to his. "Oh, Gleaming, yes!" Her head neared his. Was she going to kiss him? Cadance's heart leapt. Her hands balled. Their mouths were about to touch. Velour's lips puckered out.

Shining dodged by her head and planted his head between her breasts. He clung to her and hilted. "Velour!"

He went still for half a second, rocking. Then Velour caught on. "Oh, yes yes yes yes! Cum for me! Cum for me! Ooohhh yyeess!" She worked her hips around him, encouraging him with body and voice. He clung to her shoulders but did not embrace her completely.

"Eventide, I'm cumming!" grunted the stallion, muscles tensed and defined. Cadance felt a thrill, watching this stud's body do what it was designed for to this other mare; it filled her with desire to be well, filled by him.

Truth be told, it wasn't dramatic, but it was hot on an instinctual level. Cadance touched herself and felt the wetness through her clothes. She panted and sighed wistfully, seeing   
Velour enjoying Shining's fine body. He trembled and called out a little, mostly just shaking and grunting in the clutches of his orgasm. Velour did her part to send him to heaven as he emptied himself into her. She wrapped her arms around him and held the much younger male close as the climax began to subside and his pleasured convulsions at first stemmed and then ceased. He stayed there for a good while, Velour holding him and stroking his back. At long last he relaxed enough to hug her back. He kissed her breasts and then raised his head to rest on her shoulder. Nuzzling her cheek, he sighed out one single word, "Mom..." He climbed onto the bed and held her close, lying down together. She removed the condom from him and tied it up. He touched her face cautiously. "Is it okay?"

"Yes, sweetie, I won't hurt you," said Velour comfortingly. "Want me to kiss you?"

"Not this time, please." With that, Velour hugged him and held him close for several minutes. He sighed in relief after several seconds held tense. Cadance watched silently. This was completely unexpected after everything she had seen and heard about Velour.

Cadance did not know how look it took, but Shining Armor yawned. Velour chuckled, tousling his mane, asking, "Feeling sleepy?"

"Yyyye-yeeaaah," yawned her client, "I can't really say too much, considering what you took out of me just now."

"My pleasure."

"Oh? I thought the pleasure was all mine."

"Oh, you know what I mean, you fucker," Velour chided harmlessly. Cadance smiled.

"Anyway, Velour, I think I'm gonna crash. Cadance's here, so now'd be a good time to get your words in with her."

They were tender. Cadance scarcely could believe this was business. "Anything else, dear?"

"Nah, nothing really. Just, um..." Shining was unexpectedly bashful. "Could you um, please tuck me in?"

"Certainly," Velour agreed. It took some seconds of wrangling linens, but soon Shining Armor was well ensconced in fabric. "Sleep tight, Gleaming Shield."

"Thanks, Velour, you're the best." She kissed him on the cheek.

Madam Eventide Velour, still naked, stood up and walked over to Cadance. She asked the princess, "Enjoy our little show?"

"Was that deliberate? Did you want me to catch you two at it?"

Velour shook her head. "Believe it or not, no, but I'm glad you did. I think it'll help you understand what's going on so much better now."

Cadance nodded. "I think I understand. We need to talk about a lot of things."

"I agree. Let's."


	10. Wants and Wishes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poppy has some fun, Shining and Cadance have a date, Velour has some advice.

Shining and Cadance walked to the door, the princess putting on a woolen cap and slinging a pearl-colored Pradaveaux purse over her shoulder. The stallion tied on his shoes quickly and without looking up. As he rose, Cadance waved goodbye to the two mares on the bed. "Have fun, you two!" Cadance called out with not the least bit of irony in her voice, a slightly wicked smile turning up the corners of her mouth.

"Oh we will, Princess," Poppy Lilac affirmed with a grin.

Madam Eventide Velour slapped her fellow mare on the haunch and laughed, "I'll make sure of it. And you take good care of my..." Velour play counted on her fingers like a child reckoning simple arithmetic. "I expect you'll take good care of a liked customer of mine in return."

Shining blushed. Cadance shook her head, squeezing her fingers into a fist in her pocket for just a second. She casually answered, "Yeah yeah, sure, see you in like an hour or so. C'mon, Shining..." She opened the door and led them out, closing the door behind them on the moodily lit room.

The two mares were left alone in the dusky glow of a shaded, incandescent lamp that flickered ever so slightly in mimicry of candlelight. Poppy was reminded of the bonfires that would illuminate her apartment complex's courtyard on important occasions. She felt the melancholic pull of days and lands distant, preserved somewhere and in memory. The term tugged at her mind. At moments like this, she was grateful for this Pone term that did not exist in Zebrok, not Lengallop -- nostalgia. And in that term was more than just longing, there was a certain wistfulness and vulnerability.

Back to the present, she was laying in bed wearing nothing with a robe, next to a professional mare of pleasure. She felt some pressure, Her kind princess had given them something like an hour to have at it, but what to do? Clock was ticking; hurry up, Ngolatane!

But this mare, she was so gorgeous, and it had been so long... Was this really okay?

Poppy inhaled. She looked Velour in the eye and then back down. "Sssooooooo... Are we gonna like, or uh..."

"What's the matter, Staff Sergeant? Where's that military bearing gone?" There was a chuckle from the zebra. Velour let go of some inner tension; her client was laughing just a bit. She put her hand on that muscled flank. She caressed it down to the knee So far so good. A client willing to laugh was a client willing to love.

"If you want. Anything I should know before we get down to it?"

"Uhhh... no kissing, please. My culture doesn't do it -- we think it's gross to put spit on each others faces."

Velour agreed, "No problem. Just on the lips, or...?" Swooping in like a sparrow, the escort kissed Poppy on her breast just above the nipple.

"That's good. Next time don't miss." She proffered her tit and spread apart the sides of her robe. Eventide Velour grasped it with one hand while working at the tie's knot with the other. She was well practiced at this sort of thing. Indeed the zebra was soon writhing gently in response to her ministrations. Her nipples were large with big, dark areolas. Nothing unusual for a zebra; they tended to have larger yet less sensitive teats than ponies. She worked away at it with her lips and tongue, not applying suction just yet. She wanted to make sure her playmate was properly warmed up first to properly appreciate what was being done instead of charging in to deliver all the pleasure right then and there. At best that would be a waste, at worst it could freak out a mare whose body wasn't properly up to absorb that sort of sudden charge. There was an ebb and flow to sex that made it less of a science and more of an art. There was no such thing as a mathematically ideal fuck.

The first purrs finally came to Poppy's lips. Velvet smiled, relieved. The most difficult part of her job was over. She honestly did not get too much experience working on girls, but she had been in bed with them more than enough times to know how to reliably give a good enough time, even though not one of her regulars was female, though girls were not really her thing anyway. As far as attraction went, she'd fuck damn near anything with a pulse for the right price. That thought gave her a pang deep down. Anything... Velour knew that included Velvet's... her son. She really ought to have a talk with Velvet about reprogramming her to be at least a little bit more picky and scrutinizing when selecting clients. And speaking of Velvet, it was refreshing to have the mare be finally in such a funk as to just leave her in peace while she worked again. But from what she had gathered while suiting up for this out, the great storm with Velvet was yet to come.

Not that she cared; living for the moment was her thing, and she emptied her mind as she took another suck on the Zebra's breast. Other concerns were Velvet's problem, and she didn't care to take them on for herself. Yay for being a gestalt.

Poppy put her hand on Velour's, which was on her hip, and pushed her fingers towards her rump, dragging the hem of the robe along with it. The fingertips blushed her toned ass, then dug in with a smack. Poppy grinned. Oh, Velour was going to be a treat; she was having quite the effect.

"You like that?"

"Oh, yes. Squeeze it, Velour." The other mare dug her fingers in and kneaded a bit. Poppy grinned. "So, what were you thinking of doing to me?"

Velour hid a small smirk; she disliked this kind of question -- 'what are you going to do to me?' and 'what do you want?' were well enough intentioned usually, but they came with loadings. They were loaded with the idea that there was a mutuality and familiarity already there. Nine times out of ten, it meant ‘read my mind.’ Clients who had clear ideas were always easier to work with. She put her mouth by the zebra's ear and whispered, "I was thinking of roaming all over you, then eating you out until you forgot how to spell your name."

"Sounds good, but I got one better." Velour knew it. Nothing to complain about; encounter was getting fun and her client's initial hesitancy had been overcome. "Would it be okay if I rode your face?"

"Hell yeah, climb on top." Velour licked out with her tongue teasingly.

The escort saw the guard's blush and then shake her head a bit shyly. "Would it be okay if I made you feel good first, I mean, I don't want to be selfish, Velour."

"Be my guest." Velour stripped naked and reclined alongside her zebra. Poppy copied and their naked bodies were together. First the striped hand touched Velour on her chest right over the heart. Then both played with the escort's breasts. Everyone liked breasts -- stallions, mares, griffons... Poppy's hand wandered down lower, tickling her tummy. Then it went over her pubis delicately.

The fingers brushed over something. Poppy met her eyes and asked, 'What's this?" Velour knew she meant her cesarean scar.

She laughed, "Oh, it's nothing, just a bit of surgery from once upon a time. Don't hurt me a lick."

"So, was this from... uhhhh... Shining?"

"Not quite him; considered it first time around, but there was no real reason. His sister, however, was a tricky little filly, still is, so she got a special extraction and mommy got a thirteen hunnert bit scar."

"Thuddeen hunnat? What?"

Velour laughed, "Mustangian accent. Can't understand it?"

“A bit of trouble, but my first duty station was The Mild West, down in little dusty Shattertooth Bowl. So, ummm..." The zebra's expression told it.

"Ohhh... I see. So, what's it like, having a family of your own flesh?"

"Ask my core; I wasn't even around yet."

Poppy pursed her lips. "I see. About him, Shining Armor, he's an okay guy, isn't he?"

"More or less. I don't regret fucking him; he's intelligent, kindhearted, genuine, not bad in the sack, and definitely going places, and some mare is going to happily lucky as fuck one day to be his; if being anything but an escort were in my programming, I'd be wishing I were a decade or two younger, but..."

"But what?"

"But I would not be surprised if Cadance ended up locking him down for herself."

"You really think her majesty would do that?" Poppy asked. Velour nodded. "I know her better than you. I doubt she would. A princess lives, a princess loves, but a princess does not wed. It's not uncommon for her to take up ponies' love problems as pet projects no different from Celestia taking an interest in a city or province. It will hold her interest for a while, but princesses are all generalists. Besides, like she could afford to love him publicly, especially with what he and you have done." She smirked.

Velour raised up a finger. "We shall see. My future talks with him may prove very interesting indeed, especially if she does not lock him down; I have no problem with being his short-time lady love as long as he'll pay me. But, anyway, I would've appreciated this not happening to begin with. Oh well, it's really my core's problem. So long as I don't end up deleted, I don't really care all that much; it's not really in my programming to fuss over this sort of stuff."

"You don't say, Velour. I'll try to keep that in mind. Back home the both of you would have been run out of town and your husband would have no choice but to remarry." Poppy turned her contemplative look into a lusty grin. "So, where were we?"

Velour snapped back into sex mode. "You were just about to toy with me before riding my face."

"Oh yeah. Well, without delay..." Poppy Lilac's hand crept the last few inches down Eventide Velour's front and came between the crook of her thighs. The escort immediately let out a warm sigh, encouraging the mare to continue. This act wasn't going to demand the same kind of lubrication as intercourse, but still she had lubed up discreetly while the zebra still slept. "Wet already? I thought I was the eager one." Digits brushed over Velour's clit and a few sparks of pleasure came of it. She ground onto the zebra's touch and clasped at her shoulder. Their faces were close, but she refrained from kissing as per request. She could see the reactions on Poppy's face; she was working her magic.

Poppy worked her touch in light, oval motions. She avoided the clit directly, stimulating the labia and brushing around the hood. The motions were somewhat awkward as she was unpracticed and needed to keep adjusting, but she thought she was doing well. She hoped her personal masturbation technique would suffice. Velour was soon moaning and squirming under her touch, heat touching her silver cheeks.

"Feeling good, Velour?"

"Yeeeah, that's nice. You've got me wet, so what's next?"

Poppy did nothing but adjusted her hand again, angling it downward and pushing into Velour's pussy. The escort accepted it and let her inside with a gasp. She used her middle and index fingers inside while her thumb found its way to the slit, hitting both spots at once. Velour had to admit it was pretty good. She rocked her hips in a rhythm with the other mare's motion, letting some pleasure build. The tensed her grasp on the zebra's breast, kneading at the nipple with her palm, giving some real feedback. Poppy's smile was crooked-toothed with some gaps, but genuine. She felt her partner's breathing began to quicken. The striped face was darkening in an aroused flush. Then it came down to kiss the older mare on the teat, suckling a bit at the nipple. Velour inhaled sharply to encourage Poppy further. This encounter was starting to become quite good.

Velour felt a tension in her hips. She could smell her own arousal, and the musky scent of her client. It was time for the next phase of the liaison with the younger mare.

"So, Poppy, wanna hop on my face?"

Poppy laughed, "I thought you'd never ask." She withdrew her hand from Velour's pussy to stabilize herself as she sat with her knees on either side of the escort's head, her slit over the mouth to allow for breathing. She shook her hips to invite on the other mare's tongue and lips. As she did this, her hand went down south again and she resumed her fingering.

Velour began with a lick along her slit from top to bottom, coating the labia majora but just teasing barely the inner pair. Then she concluded with a kiss that made Poppy shudder. Poppy retaliated by adding a third finger into her slit and adding an upwards motion that brushed a sensitive spot on her front wall. She was going to give as good as she got.

Velour did her best to push through the mounting pleasure. Her focus was on the client. As Poppy intensified her ministrations, stretching her insides and putting ever more stimulation on her clit, she kept pace by deepening her licks, putting on more pressure, brushing the clit more, and even nibbling at it with her mouth. She felt the zebra's nethers become even more heated and wet. Soon juices were staining her face, a slick testament to her skill. She was so going to need a major shower after all this. The mare's clit was soon fully exposed and erect, and so now Eventide could really do what she had been holding in reserve the whole time. She put her lips on it and gave it a kiss, a proper kiss, with tongue and suction.

Poppy quivered above her, letting out a shaken moan. "Whooaoawoa! Whatever you just did, don't stop!"

Velour said nothing, continuing to kiss and lick relentlessly. The sounds coming from on high cheered her on. Her client was having a great time, just as hoped for. She was feeling pretty nice, too. Each rub over her own clitoris by the zebra mare sent some more sparks of pleasure up her spine. Her fingers were hitting such depth, it was almost being fucked by a lesser but not luckless stallion; this one for sure wouldn't leave her sore in case Shining wanted another round later.

The mares had at each other, the pleasure building in both of them. The speed of their actions and the volume of their cries gradually crept greater and greater.

Poppy noticed Velour shaking like she was.

Velour noticed Poppy getting exceptionally wet.

They didn't say anything, each recognizing what that meant. Poppy ground her hips onto the escort's face, drinking up everything the talented mouth had to offer. Her toes curled and she quivered with what she felt like a white spark of delight shooting through her belly. Unable to brace herself anymore, she fell forward and took Velour into almost a sixty-nine, lapping at the clit while fingering inside.

Poppy felt the pressure inside begin to boil. Almost there! She faced a second of fear. Should she warn the escort? What if it was too much? What was even the etiquette for head between girls? Velour gave a gasp and a little jump. Poppy opened her mouth to say something, but all that came out were moans. Before she could gather herself, the pleasure hit her like a train, overwhelming her nearly by surprise. White hot bliss coursed throughout her body and she cried out wordlessly. She kissed at Velour's clit and felt the other body surge too with hers. Every lick and touch between her legs was pure fire and she clung her legs around Velour's face, desperately trying to stay on. She rocked and moaned and shook, feeling tension she didn't even knew she had wash away like a tide. She kept playing back with her partner, adoring the encouraging, passionate moans in response.

Poppy Lilac fell forwards, sweaty, finally relieving Velour's face, letting the flushed and panting mare breathe. She did not move for many long moment, just recollecting everything. When she did, she sat up, turned around, and knelt astride her partner's hips facing her. She met Velour's eyes, they were sparkling back like hers. She reached down and grasped Eventide's breasts, squeezing and kneading gently, lost in thought. The blush remained on her face as she studied Velour's body, drawing a finger along it from chin to tummy to cleft, then placing her hand between her legs. She lifted it up and saw the stickiness of their shared juices. It stretched apart into a web when she spread her fingers with droplets running down onto her hand. The zebra pressed it to her hard belly and wiped it off before holding both her hands there together, obviously contemplative.

Velour reached up, one hand on her thigh, the other going to Poppy's hands. She was no stranger to clients who got quiet after the festivities. What was important for the escort was to seem engaged and caring but not overly concerned; show the client they were still the most important thing in the room, but let them run through whatever emotional intellectual processes instead of trying to force anything.

Finally, after a long while, Poppy finally moved her lips. Velour liked their shape and color, and with a pang reminded herself they weren't for kissing. The zebra couldn't help but ask, "Good time, Velour?"

Velour replied playfully, "The best kind of time if I'm not mistaken."

"No mistake indeed." Poppy grinned, grabbing Velour's chest in turn and squeezing gently at the breasts. Then Poppy's wide smile faltered a bit. She said softly, "Thank you."

"My pleasure." Velour grabbed her chest back.

"No, really, thank you. I haven't had sex in a long time, least of all not with a mare."

"Glad to be of service."

"I hope I wasn't bad, Velour."

Velour shook her head and patting the much larger zebra on the hip. "Bad? No, you were fantastic. You really think you're out of practice?"

"Yyyyeah. First time I've been laid this year."

Velour laughed, "I'm glad I got the honor of giving you the first fuck of the year."

"Thanks for being patient with me."

"No problem at all."

Silence returned. "Velour?"

"Yes, Poppy?"

"Am I normal?"

Velour brushed her mane out of her eye. Her initial impulse was to laugh, but she choked it down. She instead gave her best understated, calming smile and answered slowly, "What do you mean?"

Lilac clutched at Eventide's mounds a touch harder and asked, "I'm not weird, am I, having sex with another girl? Where I’m from, it’s just not done to fall into bed with a strange -- I'm not a slut, am I?"

Velour did let out the smallest, clearest chuckle she could. "Hahuha, sweetie, liking other mares is completely normal. Not all mares are into it, but there're lots who are."

"I mean... I only like sex with other mares. I've tried it with stallions -- pony and zebra, and griffons, but none of them make me feel, well, alive; I've felt nothing like eight out of ten times with a male, and none has ever made me cum." Poppy reared back to crick her neck.

"Are you repulsed?"

She shook her head. "I mean I'm not exactly repulsed; I can see beauty in a chiseled male form, but I don't feel the tingles and urges looking at them. I can feel nice with them, but I never find myself really all that excited at the time. The female body is so much better. And I've never had a sex dream of doing it with a guy. That must be unusual, yes?"

Velour gave a sympathetic nod, sitting up to wrap her arms delicately around the mare's waist. "You just like mostly girls is all."

"But aren't girls supposed to like guys? Back home, every woman marries a man, even if some spend more time with each other than their husbands. I feel like I may be a lesbian, but can I be if I fuck men, too?"

"You wouldn't be the first, last, or only, Poppy -- plenty of girls don't care for penis even if they ride it. It doesn't make you any less of what you feel. You don't automatically win a bisexual card just by having had both, and you can't have your orientation taken away just for spending a night outside your preference."

"Okay, thanks, Velour. Now my other question..."

Velour supplied, "You're worried you're a slut...?"

"Yeeayash..." The mare twisted her body uncomfortably atop Velour, her head drooping down.

"Wanna know what I think?"

"What?"

"It's ridiculous -- you're asking a whore if you're a slut. Let me tell you, Staff Sergeant, I have more sex with more partners some days than you have all year."

The zebra cocked her head. "So am I?"

"No, no, no, and most of all, no. If you're having sex just with those you want to in ways you want to and they're on board with, that's healthy. Is that what you're doing?"

'Well, I'd like to have more sex than I currently do."

Velour licked her lips and met Poppy's eyes. "Well, that can be arranged."

"Right now?"

"Right now. Say, you're not a one and done girl, are you, Poppy?"

"Oh heavens no." Poppy's voice lilted in arousal as Velour clapped a hand to her ass while giving her hair a gentle tug.

The escort whispered into her ear, "Good. If you'd be so kind, lie back, spread your legs, and hang on for dear life." The zebra did with a broad beaming smile as Velour moved her face down between her thighs.

________________________________________

Shining and Cadance walked to the door, the princess putting on a woolen cap and slinging a pearl-colored Polomare purse over her shoulder. The stallion tied on his shoes quickly and without looking up. As he rose, Cadance waved goodbye to the two mares on the bed. "Have fun, you two!" Cadance called out with not the least bit of irony in her voice, a slightly wicked smile turning up the corners of her mouth.

"Oh we will, Princess," Poppy Lilac affirmed with a grin.

Madam Eventide Velour slapped her fellow mare on the haunch and laughed, "I'll make sure of it. And you take good care of my..." Velour play counted on her fingers like a child reckoning simple arithmetic. "I expect you'll take good care of a liked customer of mine in return."

Shining blushed. Cadance shook her head, squeezing her fingers into a fist in her pocket for just a second. She casually answered, "Yeah yeah, sure, see you in like an hour or so. C'mon, Shining..." She opened the door and led them out, closing the door behind them on the moodily lit room.

The two young adults exited out into the corridor and walked down it. Shining got a good view of Cadance from behind. Beautiful, tall, elegant. She walked with a tight sway to her hips that looked regal enough, but in her simple skirt, he thought that there perhaps ought to have been a bit more swing. He certainly couldn't recall Velour ever walking like that. Regardless, he enjoyed the look of her body swaying in motion. Hers was an unusual, almost ethereal beauty that didn't quite seem fit for a creature of pure flesh and blood. Yet he could not quite shake the feeling that the princess seemed brittle for lack of a better word. Her shoes made sharp, staccato noises on the carpeted floor. Her poise was perfect with a disciplined grace.

Shining Armor thought back to how she had been during their encounters at the water park and while running. The same beautify was there, but not this tension. It hadn't been there even just the night before. He wanted to ask her about it, but could not reckon how. The stallion kept quiet; he was going to have words with her while Velour and Poppy had their role between the sheets together.

A short walk and an elevator ride later the two of them arrived at the hotel lobby bar. It was a reasonably trendy bar, featuring a grey granite countertop framed with red cedar wood, a bar stocked with a plethora of products from the adequate to the exceptional, and backlit by lighting behind a pastel blue glass panel running the length of the whole thing. The barmaid wore a bright orange polo and a yellow hat not unlike a Griffiyan pilotka garrison cap.

They sat down at the bar. It was late morning, so nobody else was there, and they parked their butts on the end distant from the rest of the lobby for maximum privacy.

The barmaid approached them. "Hey, how'ya doing?"

"Pretty good. You?" Shining and Cadance replied in unison.

"Just fine, thank you. So, can I get you two anything to drink?"

"Cosmopolitan," Cadance called.

"Triple vodka," Shining said.

The barmaid asked, "ID's, please?"

The two withdrew theirs. Shining showed it first. The barmaid scowled. "I'm sorry, Mister Armor, but you're not of age to purchase alcohol. I can, however, furnish you with soft drinks."

Shining scowled. "My bad, forgot I'm too young. Alright, iced tea, please."

"Now that I can do," the pegasus barmaid chirped. "And you, young lady?" Cadance gave her ID. Upon reading it, the barmaid's wings flapped. Her eyes grew and she stumbled out starstruck, "Y-Your majesty!"

Cadance whispered over her way, "There's a huge tip in it for you to keep it quiet. I'm here giving a field trial to an acolyte agent."

The barmaid nodded after a second assented. "Of course, princess, and never mind about the age thing; my bar is open to you free of charge."

"You don't need to, really, it's fine..." Cadance smiled awkwardly in a way that did not reach her cheeks.

"But, Princess, I insist." The barmaid was starting to get a bit loud.

Cadance frowned, reaching into her purse and retrieving some bits. "Fine, and here's some bits, just let us have peace, please. Call me Cad. Do that there'll be plenty more to come.

"Of course, Cad, sorry," the barmaid apologized as she retreated, leaving both the customers looking a bit flustered.

"So much for complete discretion," Cadance grumbled.

"Hey, it was bound to happen sooner or later, right? Besides, the real tragedy's that the one time I get drinks one on one with you, I accidentally used my real ID and not my fake."

"Good agents don't drink on the job, Mister Armor," Cadance teased. Shining crossed his arms in a pantomime of a huff. "Anyway, we got business to attend to."

"Real talk?"

"Real talk," Cadance echoed.

Shining Armor sighed, "So be it, we were going to have to plan for this sooner or later, and with Velour going home today., it's not like we have a lot of time."

"You're telling me. Just a few hours until we have to send her home."

Shining looked down and sighed, "Home... Yeeeaaaah, that's gonna suck... Having to face Twiley, my dad, and mom again is not something I'm looking forward to. I don't know if I could look dad in the eye now."

"You may have to."

"Great..."

Their drinks arrived. Both of them took deep draughts. Cadance gripped her martini glass by its slender stem and patted down her top. "Well, it's not as bad as you might be dreading."

"Yeah, maybe from last we heard. You and I both know Velour isn't the best messenger. For all we know my family could be broken up already."

Cadance chuckled, "Not quite, smarty pants, but it could turn sour."

Shining said, "Well, I know you and Velour talked last night after I went to bed. Did she have any new insights?"

"Well, Velour, as you and I both know by now, doesn't have the clearest picture of what's going on due to being Velvet's gestalt, but here's the basic rundown of stuff. I don't know if you've gotten anything from them, but your dad is currently home on a quick leave from his business trip while things get sorted out with the other company. He'll be gone soon. He thinks you're in Ponyville with one of your friends, according to what Velour said your mom told him."

"Okay, that's gonna be one awkward conversation. What about Twiley?"

"She misses you and doesn't know what's going on."

"So Velour didn't have any extra info about that last night. That better be the case. Anyway, running a charade on our little bookhorse cannot be easy."

Cadance smiled. "You're telling me. I once tried to throw her a surprise party and she deduced it and asked me a week in advance about it. I imagine Velvet's been having a hell of a time keeping this drama under wraps around her."

"So business as usual. Okay, so she isn't suffering for our drama, good. I don't know how I feel about mom right now, but I know I can try to find it in my heart to forgive her for all this. Try. But if she was mistreating my LSBFF over stuff with her BBBFF, I wouldn't forgive her; I'd take Twilight and never look back."

Cadance rested her hand on her cheek. "How noble of you," she said with a smile.

Shining blushed and ruffled his mane. "Yeeah, uh, thanks, Cadance. I mean it's nothing big; just being a good big brother." He made himself become more serious again. "So things are calm right now, only everyone's being lied to?"

"Pretty much," Cadance answered with a click of her tongue as she killed her cocktail.

"Dad won't like being lied to; him learning the truth is going to be fun..."

"Do you think he should know the truth?"

"Meaning?"

Cadance elaborated, "Do you really think he can take finding out he's been getting cucked?"

"Mom said he already knows and sanctions it, just that it's with a gestalt.

"What do you think fucking you raw in his home as herself counts as?"

Shining armor sighed, "Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiit..."

"Exactly." Cadance finished her cosmo and put it down on the bar. Shiny was barely sipping through his iced tea. The pink mare lifted up a finger and caught the barmaid's eye. "Another, please." While the barmare was distracted with refilling the booze, Cadance asked, "Say, Shining, if you don't mind me asking, what's your take on your parents' marriage?"

Shining said, "I don't know... I could say maybe it could be better, I guess. I wouldn't call it exactly bad. I've seen them disagree a few times, but they've never screamed or gotten violent with each other."

Cadance nodded, bounced her crossed knee a bit. "How often are they together? How often do they act like they're in love?"

"Not very often. Dad is literally out of town most of the time. Sometimes he doesn't even make it home for Hearth’s Warming or Winter Wrap Up, or Summer Sun, or Winter Moon. I swear it can be a bit like not having a grown man of the house sometimes."

The princess sucked in air. "Yikessss..."

"Yeah," the teenager comisserated. "Holidays have a tendency to kinda suck when that happens."

"I bet." She gave him a sympathetic look. "But, anyway, when they are together, how do they act?"

"I don't know, I don't really see them too much. Okay I guess -- I told you already nobody's getting screamed at or beaten up, but that doesn't necessarily mean all is well, doesn't it?"

"Correct. Do they kiss, call each other pet names, get gifts, do stuff together...?" She beckoned at the barmaid, who was standing off to the side with a refilled cosmopolitan, this time up to the brim and with an orange slice on the rim.

Shining Armor said, "Not too much. Dad's tired when he's home. It's like living with a zombie sometimes. If Twiley or I ask him to go somewhere or do something, he will if we're persistent, but he's just as prone to dozing through the whole day and not even remembering we talked. Mom has to pretty much carry him anywhere to get him moving. I don't really see mom and dad together much, but come to think of it, I haven't seen them kiss without it being a special occasion in a long time. She doesn't make it a special occasion when he comes home, anymore, more like a curt admission of his return. The most they ever do is go out for a night on their anniversary and get a hotel room." Cadance grimaced. "That's not good, is it?"

"No."

"Crap, could I have that in plain Pone, please?" Shining wheedled, leaning forward tentatively.

"All's not well at home. I really really don't want to say this, Shiny, but what's going on with you and your mom is only part of this. Your parents' relationship may as well be on a ventilator."

"Fuck me," he swore, "so it's pretty much doomed, isn't it? My parents will divorce, the family falls apart, and everyone finds out my mom's a whore and my dad's a cuckold. Tell me, princess of love, how do I fix this?"

Cadance said, "I can't fix this for you -- your family, your relationship, but I'm not just going to let it all fall apart. I'll do what I can to guide you."

"Thanks, Cadance."

"You're welcome, Shining Armor,"

The stallion's frown held. "So what's the first thing I need to do to starting getting this unfucked?"

Cadance said, "The first thing to do is to go home and make sure your dad knows you're okay."

Shining put his face in his hands, both elbows on the bar countertop, and sighed heavily, "And that's going to mean lying to him... I feel like a dickbag already for this."

"I didn't say anything about lying. What I said was he needs some assurance that his missing son is okay. That will ease his fears over you, because he's a good dad and I know he's worried about you and can't be feeling the most inclined towards feeling warm fuzzies at his wife. Proving you're okay will take that load off his mind and give him some foundation of trust that she's as invested in the family as much as he is."

Shining nodded and took a long suck of his tea. "Okay, that sounds good. But I don't see how I can do this without lying to my father's face."

Cadance looked him in the eyes. She took a sip from her glass. "Guiding you through this and helping you guys out is my part of it. How you do it, whether or not you lie, dodge questions, or even decide to never return, that's all up to you. I can't make those decisions for you."

"I see... And how to deal with mom?"

"Well, what did we learn from Velour last night?"

Shining Armor answered, "Velour told us that Velvet really does love her family, as bullshit as that sounds sometimes, but she's not a perfect person. We know my mom did not intend for this to happen. There's one thing that was really important to take away, and that was how she uses sex as an escape from her problems. That's going to be a hard one to deal with, because as she's done to me, whenever things started getting dicey or out of control, she used sex to take over the situation. When I first found out she was Velour, she shut down that conversation by turning it into sex. And the next day, when I tried to talk to her about the previous night and smooth things over with her, she seduced me."

"If she's using sex on you, odds are she's doing it to your dad, too."

"Wouldn't surprise me," Shining said, "I know now she's very good at being seductive and knows just what buttons to press to get out of an argument and into bed. How do I combat that?"

"Don't have sex with her."

"Easier said than done, especially when I can't help but just want to make her happy, even if I know it's wrong or a mistake."

"I don't envy you one bit, Shining Armor, and I wish I could just decree and dispell this all away, but this is how your situation is."

"Fucked and fucked up."

"Yeah." Cadance got a twinkle in her eye. She beckoned again to the barmaid. "Hey, a martini, extra wet and dirty, please." Shining swore she just winked at him.

"Shaken or stirred?" the barmaid asked.

Cadance said, "Doesn't matter, just pretend my young agent in training here is merely guarding it." A crisp twenty bit note surreptitiously was levitated onto the table with just enough flair to be noticed for sure.

"Right away."

The drink arrived nearly a minute later. Cadance proffered it to Shining, who gulped it down. "I thought you could use this; this has got to suck for you."

"Thanks, Cadance, no kidding." They exchanged mutual smiles over the tops of their glasses.

"So, Shining, mind if I ask you about Velour?" He looked up at her. She batted with her hand. "Don't worry, I'm not trying to grill you, I'm just curious about her is all."

He didn't meet her gaze direct but did still nod and answer, "Sure, okay, I guess..." He caught sight of something in how she was leaning forward. Suspicion struck. "Wait, what's this all about?"

"Humor a pretty pink pony princess, pleeeeaaaasseeeeee?" Cadance leaned forward to give puppy dog eyes at the white colt, her cleavage hanging to give him a terrific view.

"If you insist," Shining said with a roll of his eyes.

"Awesome! You would not believe how hard it can be to get guys to be honest about their short time mares."

Shining sagged his shoulder and huffed dryly, "Don't tell me Twilight knows what prostitution is and roped you into gathering data..."

Cadance laughed, "That's totally something she'd do, but no, this is just because I'm curious. And please don't be shy -- you've already told me the kind of secret most ponies would take to the grave, so it's not like you can embarass yourself." She wasn't looking anywhere except at him. He got the very distinct impression of having inadvertently trodden in a deceptively deep mud puddle.

"Okay, shoot."

Cadance dusted off the wrinkles in her top. She asked, "What made you hire Velour in the first place?"

"I was horny and wanted to try having sex for real. I graduated high school a virgin, Cadance, a kissless, dateless virgin."

"Okay. But why didn't you wait for somebody who'd do it with you? You aren't hideous or disabled." The mare smiled broadly, gazing at him and licking her lips. She lowered her voice to a dusky pitch. "Quite the opposite..."

"Th-thanks, Cadance."

"And how was she in bed?"

"Good, I guess. I don't have much to compare to, though."

"What made you want to keep seeing her, despite her being a much older mare?"

Shining searched inside himself. He had to endure a blush on his face. He had a pretty mare's full attention and he didn't know what to do. "I... I don't really know. It's something about her, like an x-factor -- I found myself liking her, being drawn to her."

"You don't know?" The beam turned into a pointed scowl. "Could you give a guess?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say it's because I like her. She was warm, welcoming, safe. And she's really attractive." Shining Armor caught the look on Cadance's face. "I mean, you're hot, Cadance, but the way she greeted me the first time was amazing. All made up, radiant mane and coat, wearing a thin nightdress, then stroking the hell out of my ego, among other things... Well, a guy has needs. Instincts, too. But on top of that, she just always was warm, fun, flirty, y'know, a break from playing surrogate man of the house most days, a break from being the colt who never could get a date to the dance, and a chance to know what it was like to be appreciated, above all else, as a man. I just felt validated by her, like I could just enjoy being with her -- sharing bodies, swapping stories, me appreciating her as a woman while she appreciated me as a man. No worries about what she'd tell her friends, no concern she'd laugh me out of bed, call me a creep, or whatever."

Cadance stroked her chin. "Interesting. There's a lot of fantasy with longing and escapism bundled up, isn't there?"

"Well yeah. Say, you don't fault a guy for just wanting a little validation, some fun, and some company, would you?

"Considering the kind of company, well, before I was the princess of love, I would have absolutely faulted a guy for it. I would think prostitution gross and imagine the only kind of guy who'd partake would be a total sleazeball who'd need to pay a mare because nopony in their right mind would ever fuck him willingly. Hearing from a lot of ponies has made me rethink my opinion of that. Sure, there are some slimeballs whom nopony should touch with a twenty foot pike. There are some real freaks, geeks, and creeps, but the majority, of the few I've either talked to, or know of, are pretty normal guys just looking for a lay."

"That's reassuring. I kinda figured I was a bit of a weirdo for doing this, errr, her."

She shook her head. "Nah; you're just brushing the toes on the pool of sexual behaviors. Are you going to see more of her after this?”

He looked down, the blush intensifying, “I don’t think so, the drama involved. I know Velour is a gestalt, so it’s not really mom, but…”

Cadance leaned forward. “So yes or no?”

He looked up at her then down at the floor, “Cadance, I’m torn, I don’t have a marefriend. And I’ve found I really like sex. So, I want to. But with everything going on. I would like to continue seeing her, just as Velour, so long as she'll have me.” He chuckled, "And so long as my bank account holds up."

Cadance's smile stopped reaching all the way up her cheeks. She said, "It's cool, it's cool, but the strangest thing I found about clients is that most of them are normal, just totally normal, like you'd never guess they buy puss if you just saw them on the street. So now I'm more like whatever floats your boat, dude, just so long you don't start thinking it's more than just a service."

"I know it's not actually real. Movies aren't real either -- doesn't mean they can't be a lot of fun."

"I totally agree, Shiny. Would you say the sex was the single most important thing?"

He actually shook his head. "If you'd asked me that before everything with mom blew up, I would have agreed, but now I'm not so sure. I didn't realize how important the heart of a man is when it comes to sojourns between the sheets."

Cadance nodded. She added, "Ladies, too."

"Right. I mean, mares enjoy a good fuck as much as guys, right?"

"Oh you have no idea," Cadance teased with a wink.

Shining Armor blushed again. "But it's more than just recreation isn't it? The emotional climate can make or break the whole thing. I mean, if you just want an orgasm and nothing else, why not masturbate?"

"Look at you talking all wise," Cadance laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, just think it's kinda adorable an eighteen year old guy is giving me a pretty soliloquy on love."

He looked away from her. "Sorry for running my mouth."

"Don't worry about it; I like hearing you." He blushed deeply in response. There was a long silence. "Hey, Shining, what would you say your ideal mare is like?"

The young stallion paused, collecting his thoughts. "Physically?"

"More than that -- who is she... as a person, I mean?"

Cadance could practically hear the gears whirring in his head as he racked his brain to come up with an answer. She waited patiently. It was nearly a whole other minute before Shining Armor finally opened his mouth again. "I like mares who are fun, kind, have a sense of adventure, someone I could talk to about anything -- intelligent would be the word, compassionate, too. It'd be awesome if she were a bit of a nerd, too and didn't mind long evenings indoors watching movies and playing video games. Oh, and one last thing: must love peetzer."

Cadance had nodded through his list. He asked, "What about you, Cadance? What do you like in a guy?"

She listed slowly, "Courage, a good heart, a sense of humor, able to tough out the bad times..."

Shining remarked, "Huh, sounds like someone I know..."

The mare asked in little more than a whisper, "Really?"

"Yeah, guy's dense as fuck though. And taken. And speaking of fucks, how're our two lovebirds doing?"

Cadance's face darkened and the charm went out of it. She glared at her watch and placed some notes on the counter. "It has been an hour. We should go."

They exited the bar posthaste, Shining jogging to keep up with his suddenly dour companion.

________________________________________

Cadance sat in the sauna totally nude. The temperature was sweltering just the way she liked it. Heat radiated from the scalding stones in the center, heated from below by a magical, smokeless fire. She was in a bit of a sulk, jaw tight and her chin was resting on her balled up fist. She sat tense with her legs crossed, her shoulders rounded and hunched over, and her butt parked in a corner on the upper bench. Her towel was positioned next to her, still folded neatly by the hotel spa staff ponies. She was whiling away the time until they could be rid of Velour. How many hours left? Two? Three? She didn't know for sure; all she knew was that not for the first time now over the last couple days, she was genuinely reconsidering whether or not to help two particular ponies.

That fucking whore, coming up here to make moves on the guy she wanted. Brazenly fucking him in front of her, too! And now she'd heard from the guy himself that Velour was everything he wanted in a mare and he wasn't going to change his bedroom habits!

Why was she not good enough?

Cadance cursed Madam Eventide Velour. She cursed that Twilight Velvet had ever generated her. She cursed that Shining Armor had ever patronized her. She cursed that the truth about her identity had ever been revealed. She cursed that she had been the one to take Shining Armor's virginity. She cursed that she had paid two and a half thousand bits to the mare to come up for two days -- money, contrary to her assertions, from her personal account and not from the treasury! She cursed that the whore had bedded Shining Armor both nights she had been with them. She even cursed that despite her wishes to find something fundamentally wrong with her, she'd found Velour to be a fairly likeable and even enlightening character.

Cadance shut her eyes and sighed. She summoned up a bit more magic and instantly she felt a coolness dousing her. With her alicorn powers, she could stay in this sauna forever.

The door opened. Cadance looked up and opened her eyes. Before her stood Madam Eventide Velour in her full glory and coming her way with a wet towel in her hand. She wrung it out over the hot stones to get a cloud of steam. Then she sat down next to Cadance as if they were friends.

The princess immediately felt a sense of something like shame. Here was the mare, the body, the cunt that Shining liked most. Unlike two nights ago, where the room was not well lit, among other factors, here, she could not hide from the exposed harlot not even a meter away. The other mare's breasts were bigger, her mane had more flair, she had a much more pronounced hourglass curve, and she walked with an enticing sashay to her hips. Cadance knew she was pretty much divine herself, that she was taller, more finely formed, and younger, but just the fact that Shiny would seek out and pay this mare for her company while she could barely get a half decent talk out of him herself made her feel a lot of things a compassionate and regal princess shouldn't, especially over just some dick. Princesses didn't get to have needs, they had duties and subjects. Princesse didn't get to vent their hearts, they had expectations to meet and a bearing to uphold.

They said nothing for a very long time.

Velour was the first one to speak. "You're still conscious after an hour in here, princess?"

Cadance's reply was curt. "Yes."

"Poppy wants to know how long you're fixin to be in here."

"I don't know; as long as I feel like." She hoped this would give Eventide the message.

"That's not very helpful for coordinating transportation."

"Well, you getting yourself home isn't my problem, Velour."

"Perhaps not, Princess, but since my booking expires at my train's boarding time, some consideration of that little fact would be appreciated, especially if you want my continued help with this whole motherfucking clusterfuck."

Cadance sighed, "Fine, I'll help you get to the station to see you off."

"Thank you." Silence again.

Things stayed quiet.

Then a youthful voice broke the silence. "How many have you been with, Velour?"

Velour replied measuredly, "I don't know, probably at least two hundred."

"That many?"

"Few by the standards of my profession. I tend to do most of my business with regulars; I cultivate them, actually."

"What are they like, Velour?"

"Can't say. All different kinds. Old ones, young ones, happy ones, sad ones, nice ones, cranky ones. I fuck everyone from Griffiyan mercs with half shaved heads and fragment scars to elderly botanists."

"Why do they do it?"

"Because sex is nice?" Velour did not quite know what to say, but she took a deep breath to steady herself. "All my clients have a different reason that ends with them between my thighs. Some because they need someone. Some because they're bored. Some because maybe they want to try something they can't get elsewhere." Velour paused. "Because they think they aren't good enough..."

"Why won't he have me, Velour?"

The older mare looked at the younger mare and cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Who?"

"Shining Armor," Cadance growled. "I've been trying to get him for a while but he just won't have me."

"Won't he now?" Velour laughed.

"Yes, really, he's refused me -- refuses to even look at me as a mare!"

Velour's ears flattened. "Cadance, calm down, don't fly off the handle at me."

Every word was practically hissed through clenched teeth. "But I'm taking your advice but he's still choosing to fuck you and ignore me. Why!?" The mare spat acid.

Velour inhaled and stretched. "Ah. Well, tell me what you've been doing."

Cadance explained, "Since we last talked about this, I took him down to the hotel bar. We talked a good long time, a bit of business, a bit of strategy for what to do when he gets home, praising him for initiative and showing sympathy for his problems. Then I ordered him a drink and steered the conversation towards mares and what he likes."

Velour nodded and encouraged, "That's good. So what did he tell you?"

"I found out he thinks you're great and plans to keep fucking you as long as you'll keep seeing him."

Velour gave her a patronizing smile. "You can't be happy about that."

"No, I'm not happy about that. Nothing against you or your profession, Velour, but even though he said why he hires you, I don't get why he'd pay you for the privilege when he could get it with me for free whenever he wanted. He said he wants a sweet girl with a bit of a brain, a love for adventure, and an appetite for pizza."

Velour laughed, "Sounds about right. So what did you do next?"

"I told him what I wanted in a stallion. I pretty much described him, making sure to smile and make eye contact. Scratch that; I was pretty much eye fucking him the whole time."

Velour's mouth popped open in realization. "Oooooh. I get it."

"What? What is it, Velour?"

"You didn't happen to actually make a move on him now did you, Cadance?"

"I made a move on him -- I made a point of hitting on him like crazy and giving him the perfect chance to have me if he would have just said the word. I got him alone with me, I flirted with him, paid attention to his cares, puffed up his pride, and even described my perfect match as being a guy like him. I even made sure to get a few drinks in him so he'd have liquid courage on his side."

Eventide Velour took a deep breath. "So you hit on him, but you didn't actually make a move."

Anger flared up in Cadance's voice. "Excuse me?"

"I mean you didn't actually make a definite move on him. You didn't give him a proposition. You didn't invite him to go somewhere, you didn't touch him, you didn't ask him if he was fixing to fuck, didn't tell him what your real intentions are. Let me explain with a question: why aren't we having sex right now?"

Cadance rolled her eyes, answering, "Because we aren't."

"Yes, but all the hints are there. We're naked and alone, talking sexual subjects, I'm an escort you're currently paying, we're naked, and I'm sitting right by you with my thighs apart. Clearly I'm offering you sex if only you'd take it -- why haven't you figured out that you should be ears deep in me by now?"

Cadance sighed, "So I didn't jump cunt first on his dick. So what am I supposed to say? 'Hey, Shiny, you may not think of me this way, but I would totally love it if you started going out with me and I want to fuck you until you collapse between my thighs as an incoherent mass of pleasured jelly with your seed leaking out of me and my legs still quivering and wrapped around your back?'"

"Not quite that!" Velour chuckled. "Close but not quite. You need to tell him you want to know him as more than friends, princesses, or whatever the hell your relationship is."

"What if he shoots me down?"

"Honey, that's an inherent risk in playing the game of love. No such thing as a sure thing."

Cadance remarked, "He was telling me about fear of rejection and how that factors into why he sees you."

"So you know all about how he never had a marefriend in school?"

"Yup."

"And how he got shot down pretty harsh more than once?"

"No, he didn't tell me about that, actually."

"I don't blame him for that, Cadance, being yelled at by your crush that they'd rather die than go out with you in the middle of the hallway when you're fourteen has got to leave a mark. To be frank about him, I don't think he can even imagine himself as being attractive to peers since that, with everything else, especially mountains of other rejections compounding on it -- maybe it's a reason why he chooses an older mare?"

Cadance looked guilty. "Shit, it really can be rough for a guy... I never knew..."

"Mares usually don't. As an escort I sometimes consider myself lucky guys consider me a safe lady to talk to. They can tell me anything. Seriously, the things men carry in their hearts make me wonder how anyone ever manages to be well-adjusted."

"It's ironic I agree a lot more with that viewpoint now that I'm looking at actually having to face rejection myself and I'm finally princessing instead of just doing administration and ceremony like I used to. That still doesn't solve the issue of approach, though."

Velour said, "Do you want to know the simple way to get what you want?"

Cadance leaned forwards, her funk faded. "What is it?"

"Look at my breasts," said Velour, crawling towards Cadance.

"W-what!?" the princess stuttered. Before she could do anything else, Velour took her by the hand, placed it to one of her tits, and pressed it in hard.

"What do you feel?"

"Softness? They're lovely, Velour." Cadance gave both breasts several strong squeezes, ignoring Velour's wince of discomfort from being manhandled so coarsely.

"Easy now," Eventide said, "they're boobs, not bricks -- no need to clamp on them."

"S-sorry," apologized the blushing pink alicorn. "God must've felt really charitable when making you."

Eventide laughed, "Don't worry about it. And of course they aren't natural, my dear princess! I had to go out and get these on purpose."

Cadance smirked. "I think I understand. You mean to tell me that if I want anything in life, I have to go achieve it rather than just wait and hope it falls into my lap by providence."

"Pretty much. From what Velvet has told me, the husband wasn't by accident -- she spent plenty of time wooing a shy colt and making him hers. The breasts weren't an accident -- she didn't like the size they were naturally so she got them enhanced. The children weren't an accident -- she wanted them so she set about making some. Twilight Sparkle being in Princess Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns isn't an accident -- Velvet cultivated her daughter's talent, convinced Night Light to back sending her off to the special school, and arranged a spot at the entrance exam. None of that was an accident, nor was it just handed to them on a silver platter. And I'm not an accident either -- she wanted to have fun, she wanted to make money, she wanted to live out a fantasy of being a wanted lady of pleasure, so she made it happen by creating me. And my success as an escort hasn't been accidental, either -- I take good photos with professional photographers, I maintain a website, I place adds, answer communiques, fuck my clients silly, learn sex tips, practice the arts of conversation and people reading, put in huge hours, travel, and more. All of that is deliberate and by design. All effort, not providence."

"You're gorgeous, though, that helps."

Velour said, "Actually, that doesn’t matter as much as you may think.”

Cadance blinked. “What?”

“Physical beauty is only part of the equation. And it’s a far smaller part than you would ever believe. With your natural beauty, you can attract stallions to you without trying hard. But you’ll find the ones after you are not much more than hard dicks.” She licked her lips. “What really attracts the good ones. The ones that will fuck you silly, but also sit there and talk to you when the dick isn’t hard. The ones that want to get to know what’s between your ears as much as what’s between your legs, is sexiness. It’s an attitude coupled with a skillset; being desirable is a developed skill. You can have an average or even somewhat heavyset mare, average boobs, okay ass, more than a little bit of mileage... and stallions will be clamoring for her attention. When she knows sexiness, when she knows what she has, and uses it to her advantage. I have these on my chest because it makes it easier, but when it comes to the stallions. I have to know how sexy I am, I have to exude that. It's all targeted -- the right glances, selective touches, teases, noticing what someone likes and strumming delicately on it. It's clothing, it's being in shape, it's having charm. You’ve noticed it, you’ve seen it in me. That sexiness will not only get mares wet and stallions hard, but keep them coming back for more.” She stopped for a moment, her eyes roving along Cadance’s body. “You are lucky, Princess, you exude that without even trying. But you don’t even realize that you are doing so. I'm just an average housewife with an average husband and a body that's due to start drooping any day now. You're nearly a goddess, and trust me, Candy, Shining is way more attracted to you than he is to me. He likes me more, though, at least for the moment."

"Thanks, Velour."

"You've very welcome. So, tell me, Princess Cadance, if you do pursue Shining Armor and you do get him, what then?"

Cadance said slowly, "We'll be a couple?"

"Well of course you'll be an item, but what about Velvet? What about me?"

"I don't know." Cadance started tapping her foot.

Velour said, "You know Shiny wants to see me; I have no plan to stop him. And once Velvet's fixed, what if they resume bonking?"

Cadance said, "Oh that's easy. My official stance as princess of love is to promote the greatest net love, so the more the better."

"Princess or Cadance's thoughts?"

"Does it matter?"

"You could stand to be more selfish. Anyway, if you want him, you're going to have to make him think you're the right mare to be around. Remember that time at the water park he tried to ask you out?"

"Yes."

"He got so riled up seeing you in that bikini, thought you were too hot to even consider him. I had to give him some courage by telling him I'd suck his dick behind the waterfall if he did and got shot down."

A peculiar look crossed the alicorn's face. "So that means..."

"Yup, by the time you were back in the water, I had his shorts down and his cock up. Went and fucked him for round two afterwards. But here's the thing, Candy, being beautiful is an advantage, but it won't count for jack fucking shit if you don't leverage it by actually doing things." As if to illustrate her point, Velour reached out and touched one of the princess's breasts. A flush spread across Cadance's cheeks and she inhaled sharply. "I can think about fucking you all day, Princess, but I have to make it happen."

"How's that?"

"Start with some flirtation -- give you a good look at the goods." She stood up in front of Cadance and stretched, showcasing her bountiful breasts, curvacious hips, and hourglass figure." She put both hands on Cadance's thighs. "And then you make contact." Their eyes met. "Express interest. Let them know what you intend. Give the brain time to spin up its fantasies of the good time to come..."

Velour's hands slid from the tops to insides of Cadance's upper thighs. Then she slid them closer to the mare's hips. "And then what?"

"You make them appreciate what you can do for them. I have a talented mouth and practiced fingers; I can read your body like a book." Velour's lips closed around Cadance's collarbone.

Cadance whispered, "Wow, shit..."

"Yeah... You make sure they know what a good thing they're getting into..." Velour, as if to punctuate, suddenly took Cadance's hand and pulled it between her legs.

"And then what?" Cadance was panting slightly, eyes wide, smiling at Velour. She placed a hand on the older mare's hip. "Oh wow, you're good. What comes next?"

"And then you make them want to chase you as much as you want to chase them. Let them know you have every intention of returning those heated favors..." She brought her face right down to Cadance's level. Her breath tickled the princess's nose. Cadance froze, her lips puckered slightly outwards.

Velour put her face right by Cadance's. It would be such an easy thing to plant a kiss on this inexperienced mare and take her to heaven; actually trivial. Velour got a wicked smile. She slid around Cadance's cheek to whisper in her ear, "Make them want nothing else besides more of what you've given them. Shiny thinks you are hot as fuck. Make him want you. Offer more than I can give him -- be not just a lover, but someone to love."

Velour walked away without another word, leaving Cadance gasping for air.

________________________________________

The black limo was on its way to the train station. Poppy Lilac was driving, no longer in casual clothes but instead back in the navy blue pinstripe suit Shining had first met her in. Velour was dressed almost to the nines. For her the sendoff was the last chance to make a good impression and earn future business. Even though she knew odds were Cadance would never ever hire her again, it was doubtful Poppy would have a chance, and Shining was pretty much guaranteed, she still wanted to go out well. She was a professional -- her clients didn't pay her to show up in sweats with her hair all over the place. Besides, she was uncertain as to how much business she was going to get in the near future -- if things with the family went as she was calculating, she may very well end up needing to do fewer bookings or even yank her advertising entirely if her core taking care of business demanded it.

It was just her and Shining Armor in the back seat. Cadance was up front with Poppy and discussing some sort of business, leaving her and her young client alone in the back with a black plate of glass separating them. She knew he took note of her outfit. A quick brush of her hand over his pants revealed his erection. A wicked grin crossed her lips. She asked, "Hey, Shiny, wanna use this?"

Shining Armor blushed. He answered, "Seriously? Velour, Cadance and Poppy are right there. We're practically in public!"

The mare pointed at the windows. "Tinted. Besides, last chance to have me for who knows how long."

"Good point."

"So, wanna do it?"

"Sorry, but no."

"No?" She was baffled.

He said, "I'd love to have sex, but there are other things on my mind. Fucking you is fun, but this may be the last chance I get to talk with you one on one."

Velour took her hand off his pants and instead draped the arm around his shoulder. Shiny leaned into the soft embrace, resting his head on her breast. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

"Mom."

Velvet stroked his hair soothingly. "What about her?"

"How are we going to handle her? And dad?"

Velvet stumbled for a bit before answering. "I don't know really. I just know she loves you and he loves her."

"Any strategies? What do you think Velvet's thinking?"

Velour replied, "Now I do actually have an answer for that. As things are right now, once she takes back over, she's going to be praying she dodged having to talk to your dad; she's hoping he goes back to Griffiya before she gets home. That way she has time to get you back home and cover her tracks and make up some sort of justification that won't instantly fold under scrutiny."

"So he's pissed at her?"

"More than pissed. There is a lot of resentment. Cadance filled me on how things are for your parents at home and asked if I had anything else to give. I told her that Twilight Velvet practically leapt at the chance to be anywhere but home with Night Light."

Shining swore, "Fuck, that's not good -- worse than I thought." He ran his fingers languidly through Velour's mane as if seeking solace in its softness.

"Don't worry about it, Shiny, this can still be turned around."

Shining Armor clenched his fist. He growled, "I'll tell you not to worry about your fam-" Shining caught himself. "I shouldn't lose my cool at you; I'm angry at other you."

"I know," said Velour. "You're really going to let her have it, aren't you?"

"Not like Sugar Swirl..."

"Who?"

"An escort I saw while hiding out here. I got too into a sorta rough session, she reminded me of mom somehow, and I kinda started screaming at her partway through..."

Velour looked seriously at him. "Did you get violent with her?" Velour asked with ice in her voice.

"No."

"You make it up to her?"

He shook his head. "No, and I need to."

"Good man. That's assuming she'll even see you again -- I wouldn't if you'd done that to me. Had you hurt her, I'd never see you again after this. I like you, you're a good client, everyone gets mad sometimes and needs to vent, but I won't stand for abuse."

His eyes were cast down. "I'm sorry, I swear I won't do it to you, ever."

"I know you won't, but I want you to understand that."

"I do."

"Good," Velour chirped, ruffling his mane, her sudden iciness melted. "Now, about Velvet, how about I give you some advice while there's still time?" Shining nodded his head. She continued, "I can't look directly into her head, but before anything else, you need to make her understand that you love her and you are willing to forgive her."

He said, "I can do that."

"Second thing is you have to hold her accountable. I've been her gestalt for years and she'll blame the moon and stars before she blames herself."

"So what do you want me to do if I can't make her take the blame without a metaphorical gun to her head?"

"Make it about her actions. She'll admit to them if confronted. Don't try to assign blame, just make sure she says that she did them, then talk to her about the consequences. Let her know that it did hurt you. Also, if you make it about blame or guilt, she'll clam up and deflect it all away. I can only hope that she will take full responsibility in her own time."

"Okay, sounds good."

Shining said, "Cadance and I thought she may try to seduce me again, based off her past behavior, in order to get out of an awkward conversation. Should I be worried about that?"

Velour adjusted her posture to bring him onto her lap. She looked down and met his eyes. "Yep for sure. That's how she handles problems."

"What should I do?"

"If you're handling her away from home, ignore her attempts at seduction. If at home, tell her you'll have sex only once you've finished the conversation. She has to know in no uncertain terms you know exactly what she's trying to pull."

Shining reached up and brushed Velour's face. "Okay, got it. Thanks, Velour."

"You're very welcome, Shining."

The car stopped. Staff Sergeant Poppy Lilac called back, "Ms. Velour, Mr. Armor, we have arrived!" The two sat up. They exited the car. Velour took last minute inventory. It was with a small pang of annoyance she acquiesced that she was definitely not getting laid one final time on this trip. Her bits were in order, she had all her clothing, her cosmetics, and her bag of condoms and lube. Poppy approached Velour. "Madam Eventide, thank you for your company and I hope to see you again," she said formally.

Velour hugged the zebra and chuckled back, "Hopefully with as little clothing as possible." The zebra brushed fit to combust.

Cadance told Velour, "We'll be in touch -- I expect you'll do your part in what comes next."

"Absolutely, Princess."

"Good," Cadance said. She proffered a handshake, which the older mare took.

Two out of three goodbyes done. She had saved the best for last. Velour walked up to Shining. He tried to hug her. She took the hug and lunged forwards. Their bodies touched and she brought her lips to his for a deep kiss right in full view of Cadance, Poppy, and the whole station. She pressed at him with tongue. He reciprocated and dug his fingers into her hip, cradling her with a soft intensity. She bent backwards with an armed snaked round the back of his neck, pulling him atop her into a dip. He kissed her eagerly. When she broke it, she asked with a flirty grin, "Come home soon?"

"Yeah, gonna have to. Next couple days if not tomorrow."

"Well it's not like anyone can keep living this state of affairs forever."

"Yep," Shining admitted.

"You going to apologize to Sugar Swirl?"

"Totally."

"I know you will." She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. He kissed her neck then let her go. She said, "See you later, handsome." With that, she turned and left with a jaunty step.

"See you later, sexy," the young stallion called out behind her. She waved absentmindedly to acknowledge that she heard him.

Velour boarded her train without incident. She got herself a nice, isolated firstclass compartment and sat down. Then, taking a few seconds to summon her magic, she flooded the compartment with light while her mane, cutie mark, and eyes changed back to how they were. The haughty harlot's posture was gone, replaced by a mousy-looking mare who was slouched forwards, hugging her bag tightly to herself like a blanket clutched by a young foal scared of the dark.

Twilight Velvet prayed and hoped against all odds that her husband would not be home to greet her and that her son would get there soon.


	11. Proving His Worth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Velvet goes home. Shining revisits an old mistake.

Twilight Radiance Velvet sighed in the train carriage.

"Fuck my life."

The events of the past few days washed over her as she debriefed from having being Velour nonstop for several days. She knew vaguely what had happened -- she'd made a run up, been surprised to see Shining but immediately caught on, spent a fun day traipsing about Manehattan with Cadance, Shiny, and that luscious zebra, had dinner, fucked Shiny, fucked the Zebra, and been the cruelest boxtease to Cadance -- left that pink slut gasping at her whim. Well now she was returning home with her pay, that promised financial windfall she had blown off her husband for. Blown off little Twi for. Her husband... shit. She had made better choices in her life. Twilight had made no shortage of poor decisions in her life, yet going on this excursion certainly had to rank somewhere easily within the top fifteen.

But was it really that bad? Night Light couldn't be that angry with her, she'd kept up her end of the bargain as his wife. She bore and raised his children. She kept his belly full and his bed warm. She had even made a point of cooking for him and having sex with him. She was doing an excellent job of providing for the kids. Wasn't he going to be damn happy that she'd made so much money in just two days of work?

She just realized she hadn't bled.

She was due for one. She had to not panic. She just had to breathe it out. She screamed under her breath, "DID YOU EVER ONCE THINK ABOUT THIS WHEN FUCKING HIM? VELVET, IF YOU'RE PREGNANT, YOU CAN'T HIDE THAT FROM NIGHT! YOU CAN'T HIDE THAT FROM TWILIGHT! YOU CAN'T HIDE THAT FROM SHINING! WHAT'S THAT GOING TO DO TO YOUR BODY? AT YOUR AGE AND PREGNANT FOR A THIRD TIME!? AND AFTER THE LAST ONE NEARLY KILLED YOU!? AND WHAT ABOUT THE KID? WHAT ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS? MARRIAGE? FINANCES!? WHAT ABOUT YOUR FAMILY? YOU'LL BE KNOWN AS THE WHORE OF A MOM WHO GOT KNOCKED UP GETTING HER SON DRUNK AND FUCKING HIM AND ALL WITHOUT PROTECTION!"

Her breath rattled. Her contraception... her contraception meant she didn't bleed much, just twice or thrice annually. But still... She knew it was irrational, but her contraception had to fail only once. She had to be careless only once. She had to fuck up only once. She had to get unlucky only once. And she'd done it twice.

Her son, her very own biological son, conceived in her womb, made of her flesh, born in her blood, nursed by her milk, had ejaculated inside her. She had felt his hot semen swirling inside. It pumped in as pleasure overwhelming him and he clung to her, calling out their familial bond, his dick pulsing as the sperm spewed into her, then staying and cooling within, then dripping down her thighs. She had even touched herself with it after the second time, using it to lubricate her motions She brought herself to climax with her son's secretions. It was nothing like the recreational professional sex she had as Velour, shielded behind a condom. It was more emotional than the for fun sex she'd had in her youth. The only other partner she'd ever done it like this with was Night Light, his father and her husband. She'd made her son cum inside her as she was herself more than once, both times balls deep and without protection. Her body had eaten up the cum. He had taken her and filled her as a stallion takes a mare, as a male breeds a female. This wasn't what mothers and sons were supposed to do.

And she had let him. No, not let him, provoked him, seduced him, encouraged him. She wanted it to happen.

And then she felt like shit afterwards.

And then she took it out on him.

Taboo violated. Trust broken. Boundaries crossed. And then she turned on him for it, blaming him for her own shame.

She was a cunt.

No, it wasn't that bad. It could not be that bad. She was being a perfectly good wife and mother. Spending the past many weeks too damn distracted to mom properly... having unprotected sex with clients... fucking his son... without protection... lying to him about everything... Her son had been acting out normal sexual urges; how could he have known about Velour? She hadn't told him. She hadn't turned him away. She could have just not seen him on age alone. She could have set a flag in Velour's programming. She would've -- could've -- should've... And then when she found out, she just had to let the whole thing spill out into the open. Couldn't just hide it, rib the poor kid, send him to bed, and then have Velour put a stop to the sessions.

She hadn't. She'd let it continue. She's goaded the outcome twice. Fucking Shining Armor wasn't an accident. The first time, she blamed the booze. The second, she blamed him.

Excuses excuses excuses...

She slumped forward. She was the worst.

No, who could have done better in this situation? She was making the best of it; let anyone else try and do better! Now wasn't the time to doubt herself unless she wanted to give herself a coronary from the anxiety. She took a quick mental inventory of the situation.

Her husband was maybe at home, but there was always a chance he was not. They had briefly argued about her trip, something about him being upset with not seeing her much during his limited time off. He'd get over it -- she'd done her wifely duty more than once while he was there, so what the fuck did he have to bitch about? Besides, she'd done him a favor by letting him have one on one time with their little purple brainiac. And she had also not worried him about their son via a clever line about him being in some hick town called Ponyville with one of his friends. All in all, the situation was very well in hand, assuming she wasn't pregnant, but what were the odds of that? He hopefully wasn't home so she wouldn't have to face him, but just in case he was, she had a plan for that, too. She still had a pussy, and Velour may have been cocked out pretty well, but she hadn't seen any action as Velvet for a few days now. Her husband was such a lecher, all it would take would be a few words to apologize, then kiss him on the lips and whisper into his ear that she had a few ideas about how to make it up to him. Being a simple man he would of course go along with it, and wham bam he'd be singing her praises not even ten minutes later. And the fat stack of bits she had her hooves on wouldn't hurt in the least. And she'd just tell Twilight her job took her on an emergency business trip. She'd ramble on about food and shopping for a minute, after which she knew her filly would lose interest and go read a book or something. All in all, everything was under control.

It just had to be.  
________________________________________

Twilight Velvet had alit from the train and taken a taxi back to her apartment complex. She knew this was going to suck, but it was only going to for however long it took to get her husband into bed. Her jitters were reduced thanks to some private time in the train lavatory. A good orgasm or three never failed to calm down the mare. Velour had gotten fucked to Griffonstone and back over the course of their very well compensated weekend adventure, but Velvet hadn't gotten so much as a flirt since she had done it with Night Light over the stove. She would soon be back in his bed and he soon would be back in her. She thought she really ought to maybe write a book about this, how about to manage husbands and keep them happy for the good of not only the wife but the entire family.

She saw off the taxi driver with a handful of bits plus a few more than she would have usually paid as a tip, but she was riding high on windfall. Speaking of windfall, she needed to put this down in her ledger for the sake of the tax man. Her husband would always forgive her, ornery clients pushed aside, princesses groveled before, and even outraged sons wrangled, but hell hath no fury like a tax collector shortchanged. Twilight Velvet made sure that Eventide Velour paid in full on time every time. While it was tempting to start a new gestalt and try to hide all the income, she knew that would only work out for so long before it backfired like a rocket in a blocked tube. And speaking of rockets ready to blow, her husband was going to be so grateful to have another round of sex before he had to return to his business trip.

The mare got out her keys and opened the apartment door. She stepped through. She was immediately greeted by a pair of eyes level with hers. "Hi, Ni Ni." Okay, that was sooner than she had bargained for.

"Hello." He wasn't smiling.

"What's up?"

"Oh, the usual. Bills and letters for you are at your place. Twilight ran a whole new science experiment and hasn't stopped yapping about it since yesterday. She wants to be a botanist now, apparently. And by the way, have you heard anything about our son?" The way he said son made her skin shiver.

Velvet gulped. "No, I thought he was supposed to be in contact with you. He's in Ponyville, right?"

"I guess. He's a grown colt; he can take care of himself, can't he?"

Night scratched his chin. "He should, and I believe he can, but we're still responsible for him."

"He's of age, Night."

"Yes, Twilight, but still, we should at least know vaguely where he is. Do you have any idea where he is right now?"

Velour lied, "Ponyville. He hasn't been home, and Spring Sprocket is his only friend who's not living in town. It makes sense they would be together, would it not?"

"It would, Vel, but there's one problem. I sent Spring a message and he got back to me saying he hasn't heard anything from Shining since the last time they talked, and he definitely didn't have any plans to go there. In fact, he said the last time they talked he seemed sad they wouldn't be getting together anytime soon, but he didn't think it seemed likely that he'd just up and leave from Canterlot without even telling anypony."  
Velvet froze though she tried not to. She had to act natural; she couldn't let Night know; there was no way letting it out would help. "That's funny, I thought he'd go there and stay with a friend rather than wander around on his own in some strange city."

"True, that does sound like a more probable course of action; doesn't solve our problem, though, Twi."

"It doesn't, Ni Ni, but I know Shining's okay."

Night Light huffed, "Well, it's nice you know it, but me, I haven't seen my son for months and I'd at least like to know he's not hurt or in trouble. I know you deal with things different than me, that you like to minimize problems, but it would very much help me if you could at least act like you're even trying to pretend to give a shit."

This was bad. Night Light was getting short and starting to cuss; that never bade well for her. She had to act now and head him off before he got angrier. So far it wasn't going to plan. Well no longer. Time to rescue it with her tried and proven ace in the hole. Twilight Velvet stepped forward. She put a hand around her husband's thigh and clasped one of his with the other. She breathed soothingly in his ear, "Hey hey, it's okay. Shiny's out there, but he'll be okay. Something tells me he'll be coming back real soon. Hey, Ni Ni, do you have just a moment before you need to go...?" She rubbed her body against him, pressing her lush breasts against her husband. Her hot breath on his ear was heavy with promise.

Night Light scowled. "I'll have a moment when I'm not sick with worry about where my boy is. I'm sorry, Vel, I'm not feeling sexy when shit's getting all screwed up at home and I feel like the only adult on deck." She kissed his cheek. He didn't kiss her back.

"Let's worry upstairs. Who knows the next time you'll be able to worry with someone else?" She tried to lead him by the hand, only for him to slide it free. He wasn't smiling. "What's wrong, sexy?"

"Am I just a toy to you? Am I a game, Velvet?"

Her eyes widened. "Ni Ni, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Velvet, the only thing we've done together since I got home has been have sex and bicker. The only time we aren't bickering is when we're in bed. You haven't answered at all where our son in, your response about how Velour's doing was minimal, you ran off to go chasing bits as her, and whenever I try to have a conversation the least bit serious, you suddenly go from steely to horny."

"So you don't like sex? Is that it? You think I'm fat? Do you want to deprive of us love?"

The blue stallion sighed deeply, "Twilight, for the love of Celestia, listen to me. I'll bed you when stuff's taken care of, but I'm not having sex with you right this second." His eyes narrowed. He clenched fingers against the wall he was leaning on. "And another thing... I appreciate you making this windfall for us these past two days, but before you started being Velour, we had an agreement about how you were going to conduct yourself. Part of it said you wouldn't go on an extended booking without a full week's advanced notice so I'd know where you'd be so we could make plans around it-"

"I did it for the bits to take care of our family!" As if to excuse herself, she thrust the envelope full of bits at him. He let it all.

"Forget the bits! We've got bits -- there'll be bits -- we can always get more bits. This isn't about our money, Twilight, this is about our family."

"What about it? I hold down the fort for months at a time without you, and when you get here, I fill your belly and drain your balls. That's what makes you happy, right!?"

He flailed his arms. "Look, I hadn't seen you in months. I got... I don't know, a day and a half with you, then you left against our agreement about how we'd do long bookings, having done nothing but have a bit of sex and then get grouchy with me for being tired from work. I need more than just text messages, Twilight, I need your love. I need you to be my wife."

Twilight tore open her shirt, exposing her breasts. "Then let's go to bed. Let's be husband and wife. Let's fuck right now! I'll give you everything I ever gave them as Velour and one better. I'm your wife, you're my husband, get over here and fuck me, make love to me."

Night said, "Close your shirt, keep your panties on. It's more than just business stuff, it's how you've been acting towards all of us. For little Sparkle, you are her mother, she wants you around. She's getting that age where she's going to need your example more than ever; being absentee half the time isn't cutting it. You're more stoic than me, but you're acting more like you don't give a damn if Shining comes home or not. Then then there's how you're treating me. When I'm here, you are not, not mentally, like you have to endure my presence. I know what you're like when you're all there and what an amazing mare you are. I feel like I'm not getting your best, like it's all going to your clients. Do you even remember what you swore to me when you started? That you'd not let it take over your life, that you'd focus on us first and them second?!?

"So you don't want me to be Velour? I thought you said you'd support me one hundred percent, Night. What changed?"

"Nothing has changed -- I want you to be free to be Velour; Celestia knows we couldn't make do without." He stopped to gather himself. A curse ran across his lips, but he bit it down. "Sometimes, I feel frustrated and distant with you, because I feel you spend too much time as Velour and not enough time being Velvet! You're not my whore, you are MY WIFE, the mother of OUR CHILDREN! Act like it!

Twilight Velvet froze. The game was so close to being up. Just four words -- just say how she'd been fucking their son, and it'd all be over. Just let him know she wasn't enjoying this any more than him. Invite him to something far nicer with just four words... She had to say something. He was glaring at her. Ni Ni never glared. It made her want to cry. "Let's discuss this upstairs."

He shook his head. "No! Twilight Velvet, I am not playing your game anymore -- no following you to bed this time. We've got real problem that need real solutions, and here you are wanting to just play. Please work with me, Twilight. I love you, but it's like you don't even care sometimes"

Twilight Velvet couldn't look him in the eye. "Well maybe it's because you're so neurotic you can't deal with a wife who can handle things without having a heart attack." She dropped her bags on the floor and walked out the door. She could not deal with... this. She had to get out of here. This was doing something to her head... she felt horny.

Night Light raised his hand as if to stop her as he followed all to slowly. Conflicting words flew to his lips. "Vel!" he called, stretching out to her. "Don't... come back." He sighed and grit his teeth. Relief and concern combusted. He didn't even think to look for his shoes as he strode after her. His feet thunked heavily on the tile floor. He as going to give her something all right!

Just as he reached out for the door, he heard the pitter-patter of small feel as a filly descended the steps as if a hailstone. "Daddy! Is mommy back!"

He had to invisibly chew his tongue to not say how he felt, to not vent out his rage at the little pony in front of him. Before he had been a father, Night could never have imagined wanting to raise his voice at his own children. The urge to yell was overwhelming -- now was not the fucking time! What the fuck was he even going to say!? Ten heartbeats, he had to wait ten heartbeats and take a deep breath before he said anything he'd regret. Ba-bump. One two. THE WHORE JUST STRODE IN HERE! Ba-bump. Three four. You have no mother, don't bother me. Ba-bump. Five six. Hey, kiddo, how'd you like to spend the next forever with grandpa?[i/] Ba-bump. Seven eight. Your mom would rather fuck strange stallions than see you or me. Make of that what you will. You don't know what prostitution is? Sit down, get comfortable while I scar your precious little mind.. Ba-bump. Nine ten. She'll be back again. I'm too pissed off to cook; let's get pizza.

Night Light took a deep sigh and finally answered, "Just for a second. She has some more errands to take care of before she comes home."

"Will she be back tonight?"

"She will be for sure," he lied through his teeth, not wanting to disappoint those shining eyes. Or I'm getting a lawyer.

Twilight nodded. "Okay. Say, dad, what's there to eat? I'm hungry."

At least one thing coincides with what I want. "Wanna get pizza?"

"Oh do I!" Twilight cheered.

The duo were soon trotting down the street side by side. Night Light wasn't a meathead, but he kept himself moderately in shape. It didn't hurt to hear the way Velvet purred when she looked at his bare torso, nor did it hurt their food bills or not needing to go clothes shopping very often. Twilight Sparkle was propelled by the energy of youth and gym class. Though still worried and stressed out of his skull, the older stallion could not help but smile as his daughter kept pace. This was nice to focus on. He could handle this.

They reached where the manicured lawns ended and ran across a foot bridge to a shopping center. They turned right to enter a pizza shop with one of the z's on its neon sign dying. The door's bell jangled shut behind them and a muscular stallion with a moustache waved at them from behind the counter. "Night! Sparkle! Bout time I sees yous again. Don't just stand there, siddown." They did, taking a seat by the window at a booth while the Manehattanite brought them menus. "What can I get yous to drink?" he asked.

"A coke, please, Fresco Dough," Night Light said.

"Lemonade!" Twilight chirped.

Fresco nodded. "Okay, a coke and a lemonade, got it." He walked away to go attend to the kitchen, barking something at somepony in the back.

Night Light liked the atmosphere here. It never failed to put him at ease. Sure, it wasn't the most fancy place, indeed it was shabby and smelled perpetually of olives. The owner was definitely very rough around the edges; Night had once gotten drunk long ago with his friends and asked him about the scar under his chin. He didn't remember the exact words, but he'd been chased out with a rolling pin. That one incident aside, this place was an old, comforting standby with something that set it apart from any other pizza place he knew in the city: he'd never had a single bad slice here. Half the upmarket joints weren't worth the cardboard of their menus, no shortage of so-called authentic parlors had ponies who definitely didn't have it in their blood working them, and the maverick 'ria's were just as likely to botch the noble dough'n'cheese as they were to make something fine. But here he'd never had so much as a bad slice, not even once in fifteen years of religious attendance. It was what it was: good, simple pizza that didn't overburden dad's dime. Speaking of dad stuff... Night Light vowed he'd get his son back here before he went off to Royal Guard, or so help him he'd storm the recruit depot with three steaming extra large pies in hand.

As Night Light tried to soak in the familiar atmosphere, Twilight continued to talk his ear off. "Did you know that the first dedicated pizza oven was invented only eighty years ago and not in Tuscaneigh, but rather Fillydelphia by a Romane-descended but Equestria-born mare named Arugula Margarita?"

"I didn’t."

Twilight's eyes shone as she lectured, "She got the idea for it from the bread ovens used by her family's bakery, but she wanted to emphasize airflow to most evenly bake over a broader area and avoid the domed loaf shape. She's still alive actually, making peetzer."

Night Light chortled, "You just said peetzer!"

"N-no I didn't!" Twilight huffed at her dad.

"Yes you did, just like Cadance."

"So I spend a lot of time with Cadance; she's the best foalsitter in the history of foalsitters." She crossed her legs. She could clam right up in a hurry, just like her mother.

At that moment, Fresco chimed in, "I got yous your drinks." Putting them down, he said to Twilight, "And if I catch you calling it peetzer, I'll kick ya kiester."

She and her dad laughed. She loved wordplay, just like him. They each took a long draught from their beverages. "Dad," she asked, "do you think there's maybe some Mild West in Cadance's accent?"

"What makes you say that, Sparky?"

She blushed, wincing at the nickname, ears flickering. "She says peetzer, gotcha, betchya, and sometimes kin and not can."

Night Light nodded in agreement. "I don't know, honey, that does sound pretty probable. But she's from Canterlot like us, isn't she?"

"She is. She is a princess, after all. I don't know how she got her horn, being born a pegasus, but maybe she's been out there?"

“Makes sense."

There was a lull in the conversation. Twilight was putting her hooves together, tapping them slowly. He preoccupied himself with drinking very slowly, letting her put her thoughts in order. They would come when they came, no sooner, no later. She'd lose the trail if he tried to rush it, but he already knew what she was going to ask. Several minutes passed before she opened her mouth to speak.

"Dad..."

"Yes, dearest?"

She asked very precisely, "Do you think BBBFF and Cadance are together right now?"

He spat out. "Wh-aht?" Night coughed. "What do you mean?"

"Well, he's somewhere and she's gone somewhere, too. I know he's had a crush on her for ages, and what if she likes him back? He's been out for almost a week now, and Cadance seemed confident he wasn't in trouble or anything. What if they're together?"

Night Light breathed the single biggest sigh of relief of his life; he wasn't going to have to answer any questions about her mother just yet. "That does sound reasonable, maybe they are?"

"I'd like that, then they can get married and we can all be one big family."

Her father smiled. "Yeah, that does sound nice."

"Assuming the big dummy even notices her."

Night grinned and asked, "Wanna make a bet?"

"What, daddy?"

"I'll bet you..." Night Light wheedled this out, enjoying watching his daughter crane forward, "that our Shiny and Cadance are not together."

"But what are you betting?"

"I bet you all the ice cream you can eat." He had to make the stakes relatively high, otherwise Twiley would not bet -- if there was a risk of being wrong without enough of a reward to make it worthwhile, she would simply refuse to play.

His little bookhorse smelled blood in the water. She dared, "I bet you a hayburger combo meal they're together."

They locked eyes. They said together, "You're on."

Night Light took out his phone and composed a text. Hey, sonny, you wouldn't happen to be with Cadance, would you? He showed the message to Twilight and then sent it. "And now we wait."

They didn't have too much time to wait before the pizza arrived piping hot. The next several minutes were spent totally consumed with consuming another one of Fresco Dough's edible masterpieces. It was a perfect pizza in every sense of the word. The dough gave a solid foundation yet yielded at the slightest pressure of their jaws. The cheese was hot and steaming, yet didn't burn. The tomato sauce was tangy with a few hints of salt to add flavor, and there was definitely basil hidden somewhere in there, too. The cheese was melted mozzarella, rich and creamy. It was like biting into semi fluid wonderfulness that washed over his tongue with the salt and herb flavors, accentuated by the not quite crunchy texture of the dough. And lastly came the crust. The crust was well-risen and slightly tough, but airy and was substantial enough to bite into. It was the kind of crust Night Light had to stop himself from scooping out with his thumb, but Twilight was happily doing it in his stead. As great as the pizza was, the best part was being here with his daughter, enjoying a moment not worrying about work, money, his other child, or his wife. He lived not just to be their father, but their dad. He found satisfaction in the smile and happy noises coming from Twilight as she chowed down on the pizza.

Not to be outdone, he dug in, too. It became sort of like a race. The contestants were evenly matched, for his mouth was bigger than hers, but she had the breakneck recklessness of youth and also, as he had been surprised to discover when Shining Armor had been around her age, seemingly a vacuum in each hollow leg. The little mare didn't seem to understand that her mouth only had a finite capacity and her tongue wasn't a conveyor belt. Night Light had a strategy for this. He'd start out fast, getting her to sprint at the beginning, luring her to get out ahead. Then what he had to do was vaguely watch her pace and wait for her to need her drink; she was a thirsty filly whenever she ate. He'd just been in Griffiya, where all restaurant drinks were served by the not very cheap bottle -- he could make it through two whole pizzas on just part of a small glass of water. He watched her blaze ahead. He let her gain a lead and then put his plan into action. The key was to let her stay ahead while he paced himself, then as she'd worn out, he'd surprise her right at the very end with a burst of speed. As Twilight Sparkle got further into her half of the pizza, she stopped more and more frequently for her drink. Then, right before her last slice, disaster struck as she depleted her lemonade and a cascade of ice cubs hit her in the face, scattering off her shirt and onto the table.

Night Light pounced. Twilight only too late realized her predicament, and tried to stuff her face, but her dad had got her good; she couldn't make herself shove it down fast enough as he drew up rapidly with big bites before finishing the last of his crust a whole half slice before her.

"I win," he burped. He took a quick inventory of the battlefield. He was pretty neat, but her side looked like a helicopter carrying patries had gone down over it. Pizza sauce adorned her cheeks, her nose, and even the very slight swelling of her pubescent bust. Before she had time to lament, his phone went off. He picked it up. "You'll like this." He read aloud, "I am, Dad. How did you know we're in Manehattan? Anyway, see you tomorrow. Got time before you go back to work?"

'Yes! I win!" Twilight cheered, dancing off to wash off in the bathroom. Night Light heaved another relieved sigh. His son was safe and in good company. And when Velvet showed her face next, there would be a reckoning. He was going to get answers.

________________________________________  
Three figures were arrayed on the floor of a fairly nice Canterlot hotel room, crowded around the pale blue glow of a smartphone.

Shining Armor frowned as he read the message on his phone. ‘Our little bookhorse had a hunch. Sorry, I can't guarantee that. All depends on when you get here; I have transport to catch. Love you. Glad to know you're in good hands. Now if you'll excuse me, I owe her all the ice cream she can eat.’

He looked up to Poppy Lilac and Princess Cadance. "Well, there goes my chance of seeing my dad before he goes off for who knows how long again." His shoulders sagged.

‘He wrote a reply. Good luck to you both. Remind her about the time we had to carry her when she was six because she got carried away at the buffet. Love you guys and mom. When I go back, let's make some time and catch up. It feels like we haven't talked in forever.’

‘Ding! Sounds great, son. I promise I'll write you every day. :P’

‘I'll count the seconds. TTYL, dad.’ And with that written, Shining Armor put away his phone. "Well, the good news is I'm not disowned and homeless, at least until he finds out what mom and I have been doing. The bad news is we're still not any closer to fixing this whole mess. I don't know what mom or Velour will tell him, and I'm honestly afraid to ask."

"Avoiding it won't help in the end," cautioned Poppy.

"I know," sighed Shining, "but I can't imagine just telling him everything in full detail going great. Imagine that conversation. Hey, dad, sorry I'm MIA right now and you didn't know where I've been for the past couple weeks and mom's been lying to you about my location. Anyway, did you know we've been having sex? Yeah, hot and unprotected, right in the house, and I came balls deep in her pussy both times. She took my virginity, too. And I've done both her as Velvet and Velour. I even know you're complicit in her whoring around behind your back. How do you like that, cuck daddy?"

Cadance said, "I see how that could be..." she tented her fingers and breathed out, "problematic."

"Ya thonk't'ed so?"

"It makes sense. So we won't preemptively tell him anything, and instead let him bring up subjects as he wishes to do so."

"That way I don't incriminate myself," Shining added.

Cadance explained patiently, "Shining Armor, having relations with your mother is not a crime. You're not going to jail or anything for this."

"Neither is constantly ducking your own security detail or deciding to room with a random nobody stallion, but you wouldn't want that to be known, now would you?" His fist was clenched. He opened his hand. The stallion sighed, "I'm sorry, I'm getting all tense and on edge, taking it out on you guys. I need to cool it."

"That would be nice," Cadance agreed. Ngolatane nodded silently, arms crossed. "We are on your side, after all."

"I'll try to take it easy, it's just harder than it sounds."

"I don't envy you," Cadance said.

He asked, "So, when's Sugar Swirl getting here?"

Poppy said, "Soon."

"Good. Much more waiting and I'd be clawing down the walls," Shiny joked, looking over the array of gifts in his arms. He had a bottle of nice Palominan wine, a box of chocolates, and a stuffed envelope containing double her donation.

Cadance sat up on the bed and stretched. "Well don't claw her this time," she said.

"I won't. I'm going to keep it sweet and simple -- I'll apologize without exception, give her the gifts, let her know the extra is a tip, and then explain that if she doesn't want to see me, she can walk right out and I won't stop her or tell the agency. And then, assuming she forgives me, have normal gentle sex."

Cadance shot him a thumbs up. "Bingo."

"This better work, especially considering what this's running me."

"This isn't about you getting your dick wet," said Cadance, "This is about you learning how to deal with being wrong, and how to be gracious, because you're going to need these skills for salvaging your relationship with your mom. You need to know something of what she's feeling, and also how to approach someone who's still wary of you. That and I know you're a good stallion who's above lashing out at ponies."

"I can't help but feel like I'm being punished for having feelings."

"You aren't being punished. You're getting a crash course in dealing with them like the adult stallion you need to be. Besides, I won't have it said one day of Captain Shining Armor that he terrorized a sex worker once upon a time. If you're going to protect Equestria, protect me if you choose ROK, that starts with exercising good judgement and correcting mistakes, and treating all ponies with dignity, even if you can get away with giving mistreating them.

Poppy added, "She's right. In ROK especially it's true, because you're dealing with the public, so you have to be able to deal with jerks trying to push you, get a rise out of you, and so on. You must be capable of dealing with anything with dignity and grace, and should you fuck up, and you will, we all do, no excuses will be accepted. You own up and get it right next time; the Guard has little love for fuckups and idiots." Poppy glanced over at the princess. "Would now be a good time to talk to him about the Guard?"

"I don't see why not. I'll be down in the restaurant, table six is reserved under Heart Rhythm." Princess Cadance stood and turned to leave. As she did, Shining got a momentary glance up her skirt from his supine position. Her panties were tiny things, and the way she'd been reclining with one knee high... Had she wanted him to see? What the hell? "Well, good luck, Shiny. Perhaps we'll order something just for you. Seeya."

"Later," he said, waving to her.

The door closed, leaving him alone with Poppy.

She asked, "Would you like me to talk about anything special, or should I just tell you in general what to expect?"

"Just give me the whole thing, thanks."

"Okay, she began, "you're not a felon, illegal alien, or some kind of degenerate, are you?" She couldn't help but grin.

"No."

"Good. And you managed to graduate school, right?"

"Yep."

"Okay, so you're good to go, mostly. Stand up and lift your shirt for me."

Shining asked nervously, "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Who's the lesbian here?" He complied and she took a quick look at his mostly flat stomach. "No worries there -- you'll make tape. Other than your Appleloosan activities, you don't seem all that crazy or sick. You were good at school, right?"

Shining said, "Not the best, not the worst. I was a solid B student across the board and even took some honors."

Poppy nodded. "I don't see any reason why the recruiter would weed you out. Let me think... You've never heard of Sunset Shimmer, have you?"

"Who?"

"Just checking. Anyway, what were you thinking of doing in the guard?"

Shining responded, "Infantry, until Cadance started talking to be about doing ROK instead."

Poppy could not stifle her laughter. "You do know those are very different jobs, yes?"

"I know. She put me up to it."

"So you say," said Poppy, standing up to stretch. She sat on the bed facing him. "What's more than that is ROK guards, some of them anyway, spent significant amounts of time alone with royalty. In a way, you are not trying out for the position, rather, you are trying out to be chosen by a princess."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you have to sign up for whatever job it is you're going to do, then once you're in, then you get to apply for ROK. Only if you pass everything, and a princess likes you enough to take you onto her personal protective staff, only then do you actually get to be in ROK."

Shining went quiet. "Ah, so it's not quite as straightforward as she made it out to be."

"Not at all, unless she wants it to be..." Shining met her teasing gaze, but before he could say anything, he was interrupted by a knocking on the door. "And there's your date. Good luck, Shining. I'll tell you later about the basic indoc process you'll be going through." Ngolatane stood up and walked to the exit. She opened it and slid brusquely past the familiar mare in the doorway wearing a sexy short sundress. As the mare outside stepped in, she made eye contact with the stallion. Her eyes widened. He smiled at her, gesturing gently to sit beside him on the bed.

She shut the door. She opened her mouth just a bit. "Oh, it's you, hi."

Shining said, "I know and I'm sorry. I owe you an apology. I swear I'm good this time." She approached gingerly, sitting beside him. He handed over the envelope. "Time and again, think of it as a plus one hundred percent tip. If you'd rather be out of here, you can go."

She giggled, "What're those other two things?" She gestured across his lap to the bags.

He answered, "A bottle of wine, and a big box of chocolates."

She took them out and gasped happily, hugging him, "Thank you!"

"I'm just saying sorry." He was rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Was it because she was a girl his age who could have very well been one of his classmates?

"No, really, thank you. Clients aren't always the nicest to me, it's not every day I get gifts like this, and I'm almost never told sorry. You're a really good stallion, you know that?" Shining smiled. She leaned onto his shoulder. "You know, up until you want a little crazy, I really was into it; being fucked hard is the best." He held her. They shifted to lay side by side on the bed. He put a hand around her back, holding her close. He could smell her lavender perfume. Many minutes passed. "Hey, what went wrong last time, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Family troubles. You reminded me too much of someone and I took it out on you unfairly."

"Oh… Wanna do something more fun?"

He squeezed her breast. "Meaning what I think you mean...?" She felt his tension and put a hand on his chest. She kissed his cheek. He smirked. She kissed his cheek. He grinned. She kissed his cheek. He smiled. She kissed his cheek. He beamed. She lay a series of kisses on him, inching closer to his mouth. The corners touched, it was then a skewed thing, then lastly they made full contact face to face. He pressed against her, and she teased at his lips with her tongue. He kissed her back, opening his mouth to welcome in her tongue. He caressed it with his own. She tasted sweet, vaguely like cotton candy, but more with a nuanced honey or cinnamon flavor than just pure saccharine. He felt her start to relax in his embrace, her kiss playing less poised, more primal. She brought up her arms to wrap around his neck. It was almost like she was melting on him. She hadn't done this last round.

"No, the other thing," she giggled as she rested her head on his chest and he stroked her back then pawed at chest.

Shining Armor felt the young mare's chest. Her breasts were small yet squishy. He slid in a hand from the neckline of her dress as he couldn't shove through the fabric. She laughed and reared up, straddling his waist. She was nice and light. She flexed her shoulders and let the straps fall from her shoulders. She wasn't wearing a bra underneath. She slid forward and offered them to him, and he accepted with smiling lips and a playful tongue. He hugged her close and stuck a hand down the back. He came up for air and then kissed her again on the lips. He saw she was starting to blush. Her thighs were brushing against the growing erection in his pants. He felt something start to smear on his lower belly. Looking down, he realized that her dress had been pulled up and her thin panties were pressing against him, her wetness coming through. She climbed backwards, pulling off her garment in one motion, hurling it aside.

He pulled off his shirt and she got between his legs to help him with his trousers, then his underwear. His hardon was freely available.

The mare lowered her head and licked him from balls to tip, then from tip to base. Coming up, his dick disappeared into her warm mouth. He was getting blown by a pretty mare. And it was fun. It wasn't because he was fleeing anything or trying to make bad thoughts go away, but because he found himself spending time with her and enjoying it. And she seemed to be enjoying her time with him, too. Maybe she was a pro, but that didn't mean she couldn't well like sex.

Her head went up and down, feeling fantastic. He supplied slow, steady licks that made his chest jump and breathing shudder. He tensed his fingers in her long, bouncy mane, sighing happily. The mare sped up and focused more on lips and mouth, making the blowjob extra sloppy. Wow, that felt heavenly. He just realized he hadn't had sex the day before; he'd actually turned down Velour despite knowing he definitely could have gotten away with it. He felt warmth spreading over his body. He was being sucked marvelously. Her mouth felt so good on his cock. Her spit was helping her make rich slurping noises as she worried himself with his ever mounting pleasure. She put her hands on his swollen balls to prop up the shaft. He rested his arms behind his head and just let her work her magic. She shook her ass, speeding up.The urge to mount her and fuck an impression of her face into the box spring was growing. He knew already just what pleasures lurked in that tight little ass, his for the taking.

Shining Armor realized something: she wasn't giving and he wasn't taking; they were sharing beautifully.

He took his hands and sought her breasts. Founding them, he squeezed. Shit, his balls were getting tight. He was feeling himself get close. He paid her back by playing with her nipples. Clearly happy noises came from her and she sped up. She shook her ass more. She sucked him down to the balls and held it, moaning and humming on his cock. Her tongue peeked out to even see to his balls. His throbbing cock felt like it was going to explode. He gasped even as he toyed with her and she ate it up.

He warned her, "Sugar swirl, if you keep sucking me like this, I'm going to cum."

She went from on all fours to lying on her front, not releasing him. She wouldn't be able to pop off him in a hurry if he popped. She hum-chirped happily in response, not stopping, not slowing. she made eye contact, her gaze lidded. He could tell what she wanted, and it felt too good to stop. He caressed her hair, whispering sweet nothings at her and her mouth and tongue. She ate him up with a special elegance. She tossed her hair aside without skipping a beat. She was really into this, into him, into sucking his soul out through his cock until it went limp.

Her lips washed over his head. His fingers curled. He could hardly control his breathing. It felt so good. Her sucking his dick was like fire. He groaned and thrust into her mouth, letting her have the whole thing for her purposes. He had to be leaking precum. His thighs were starting to shudder. She didn't stop making eye contact. She was smiling at him, daring him to spill for her. He couldn't resist. He was going to faint with pleasure if he did.

Shining Armor came with what he initially hoped would be a small groan to let her know how well she was doing it, but it soon became an unrestrained roar laced with curses and her name. "Sugar Swirl! Oh! Fuuuuuck! Oh my! AAAHHHRRH! FUUUCK! OH SUGAR! HOLYYYYYY!" He tried to let her work on him as cum shot from his tip, but he couldn't restrain himself. He grabbed her head and fucked her face, moaning his orgasm, shuddering it out, shooting rope after rope of cum into her eager face as the carnal bliss ravaged him.

Sugar Swirl ate it up, humming at he came for her, praising her talents audibly. Her lips braced his dick in her mouth while her tongue worked and lapped away at it, running up and down his cock, teasing at his head, her suction kissing pure pleasure into him that run up his spine like lightning. She massaged his balls, feeling the swollen orbs almost seem to deflate. His cock surged as his cum erupted for her and she drank it down. He pressed his fingers into her head, holding her right there, not letting his mare get away, giving her every drop she was teasing from his body.

At last, Shining Armor went limp and let his arms fall. Sugar still sucked gently on his sensitive length, cleaning it off. She released it finally and kissed all over his dick and balls. She showed her mouth to prove she'd indeed drank all of him. Then she lay beside him, draping an arm over his heaving chest.

"Sugar Swirl... holy shit..."

"You're welcome," she laughed, just let me know if you're gonna throat fuck me at the end next time; I can handle it, but lots of girls will just gag and not want to blow you again." As if to emphasize her pound, she gave a small cough and something came out of her nose. She wiped it. Looking down, she laughed, "This is cum!"

"Wow, I guess I really did fill you up." They laughed together, her draping a leg across his, and he hugging her. She snuggled onto his chest. He just enjoyed the warm body in the afterglow. He'd be damned if she hadn't just sucked out his soul through his dick. The kissed and held hands. Then she looked down. Her hand had brushed against something.

"Hey, wanna go again?"

He sighed, "Sugar, you're hot and I like you, but there's no way I can-nH!" Shining jerked as she clasped a renewed erection still slick from her mouth. "Holy shit I'm hard."

"Yeah, I know. Wanna do something about it?" He grinned in response, clasping her ass. She swung her leg over his. He hugged her close and clouded his face between her tits. He took a nipple in his mouth and sucked. She hissed and clawed at his shoulders. She pressed them into his face. He made happy noises, going to town on them. He just loved breasts. He smelled her sweat, he smelled her perfume, he smelled her faint sweet, flowery and spicy notes. He smelled the distinctive scent of feminine lust. If not for geography and Velour, she'd be his favorite. He vowed to himself if he met a mare this sweet without being paid, he'd marry her. The mare drew up, lights dancing in her eyes. She was on her knees over him, shaking her sweet, tight hips. He saw heaven in between those thighs, a little tidy tasty pussy with petals just sticking out ever so slightly.

He said nothing as he pulled her hips towards him, puckering up to kiss her on her clit, then bringing his tongue lower down to explore her vulva. She cried out in pleasure as he set to work. If she's slurped out his soul just minutes ago, he was going to pay her back.

Shiny immediately remembered he wasn't a big fan of the taste of pussy, but he was too turned on to care. His dick was clamoring for attention, but it was going to have to wait. He wasn't even wearing a condom yet. He dug into Sugar Swirl's slit. He used one hand to grasp her toned ass to control her while he inserting fingers with the other. He hadn't too much experience in the grand scheme of things, but Velour had taught him well. Such a shame he'd learned Velvet wasn't keen on letting him meet her gestalt again. Fuck her. But first fuck this one!

As his tongue circled her clit, flipping and lapping at the sensitive nub, his fingers caressed around the vulva. She was panting already. The very first touch inside her vagina revealed she was soaking. All without lube! This was genuine arousal! He'd never had that in a session before. He'd seen Velour and some of his other girls be aroused and even climax, but they'd never foregone lube to start with.

His two fingers were in her down to the last knuckles. He thrust and rotated, and his partner answered with noises and shakes. He kissed her clit and lips. She was starting to quake. He raked backwards with his fingers, striking a rough spot on her front wall. "Shiny!" Sugar cried out. Her pussy was getting so hot. "Take me!"

Without warning, she got off his face and pulled him backwards, her legs already parted. He was yanked into a kind of kneeling posture, and she slid herself over him. Hot. Wet. Soft. He was inside Sugar Swirl! "Swirl! Are you sure about this? We really should use a condom."

She held him inside wrapping he legs around his back as she clung to his neck, peppering it with vicious kisses using just a hint of tooth. "I got a clean blood panel yesterday and I've been careful since then. If you've been careful, too, there's nothing to worry about. Besides, what's life without a little risk? Sometimes a little danger's worth it, don't you think? I don't do this with just every guy; you've already been with me so it's not like I'm bullshitting." She accentuated the last word with a jerk of her hips.

Shining kissed her and leaned forward. It was awkward to fuck her in this new position. He gave small thrusts, half supporting her with one arm, playing her clit with the other, and suckling away at her breasts with his mouth.

She was hot, this was hot. He was not going to last. He fucked he as best he could. He plunged into her depths over and over again, going balls deep in this mare. He was fucking her raw and loving it. This felt so good. Being in a mare felt so good. He wasn't worried about anything, no concerns on his mind other than fucking this mare until she screamed and writhed. Their hips met and she slung from his neck. She was digging her nails into his back and shoulders in a display of primal passion. Whatever he'd done to turn her on had really done the trick. He stung, but it only turned him on right now. She was begging for him so hard with her body. Her cunt felt like it was alive, wrapping and caressing around his throbbing cock. He felt her panting in his arms, wordless cries of pleasure escaping her open mouth and salacious, red lips. He kissed her again. Their tongues dueled, mirroring their lower halves. The passion was blanking his mind. He sucked on her collarbone and she pulled his hair to get him off to kiss his mouth again. He went back down to her breasts. His fingers on her clit made him shudder. They were lost in an animalistic frenzy of lust -- young hormones and mutual attraction conspiring in a cocktail to make them fuck like mad. He looked down and saw him entering her over and over again. Deep deep deep! In in in! He was going to fuck her trembling body until she couldn't move! Until he couldn't move! Her small breast bounced to their rhythm.

She was crying out something, but he couldn't tell, it may have been another language. She was howling without regard for the walls. He was grunting fiercely.

Sugar Swirl gave a strangled cry as her legs trembled. "I'm cumming! Cum for me, Shiny, inside me!"

The dam broke. Shiny tried to reason against his instincts, to not cum inside this mare, fearing the consequences, but it felt too good. So good, being mated felt so good.He didn't know what he yelled as he came, but he wasn't quiet. Cum errupted from his cock in torrents, white hot with pleasures and little stabs of pain from his overloaded dick. He flooded her vagina, emptying his balls with pulse after pulse. She worked her hips, spiking him with indescribable pleasure. She called to him, clung to him, her body provoking his to give her his essence. He leaned forwards to gather her up then clung to her. She tried to kiss him, but something stopped him from reciprocating -- not while he was cumming. Shining Armor went for her breast. He sucked and licked at it like he was dying of thirst. She screamed in ecstasy and raked his back. He put some teeth on the teat, answering her bestial frenzy with his own.

When their orgasms ended, they didn't withdraw. More accurately, Shining just dropped her before collapsing next to her. Now that he was cooling down, he kissed her. He guessed he didn't want to feel quite that close to her, if that made any sense. The sex was so much fun, but he didn't care about her in that way. Not like he’d wonder about her in six years. Maybe he'd do it only with a mare who was truly special? Cum still leaked from his penis, and it definitely was spilling from her pussy in abundance. They kissed and cuddled. They didn't know if they even slept a bit, but it was he who first spoke. "Holy... Holy fuck, Sugar Swirl... That was..." Shining gestured by waving his hand wide. "Wwwoooooooooooooooooooowwwww..."

"Yeeaash," slurred the mare, her brain addled by sex. "Let's get a shower."

"Don't have to tell me twice; just let me find my legs again."

The escort giggled, "Me too." Sugar Swirl then made sure to check in with the agency to confirm that the appointment had gone well, and that it was over. After that, she pulled the stallion by the hand into the shower. They soaped each other up, washed each other down, and kissed. They groped and joked. It was some of the most fun Shiny had ever had. After that, they just pulled out all the towels onto the flour and lounged around on them until they got dry.

Once they were dry, they cuddle on a big chair, Swirl sitting in his lap, making out like the teenagers they were. "See you again, Shining?"

"If I'm ever back in town... or you come up to Canterlot."

She frowned. "My agency doesn't send girls out that way, sadly."

"What's working for the agency like?"

Sugar Swirl stretched, placing her head on the stallion's shoulders. "It's okay, I sometimes have awesome clients like you. To be honest, most clients are pretty average -- dudes older than me, may or may not have a wife, just really want a pretty younger mare for an hour to suck their dick, fuck a load out of em, stroke their ego, tell me things they can’t tell anyone else. I see three, sometimes up to eight, in a day. It's seldom more than five."

"That's a lot."

"Yeah. I mean the high volume days are great, even if I get a little sore down there. The agency takes a thirty percent operating fee when I'm active on their roster, so I need at least a couple bookings to turn a profit."

Shining growled, "They make you pay to work?"

"Well..." She was phrasing this delicately. "They set us up with customers, keep us safe, guarantee we don't get cheated, robbed, or anything, and we give them a cut."

"I understand, but that's not nice of them. How long are you on call each day, Sugar?"

"I'm available usually ten hours a day. All I need to be is ready to go when the call comes."

"I see. Do you like working for them at least?"

She nodded vigorously. "Oh totally. Pays great, actually flexible hours, and I have fun at work. However, it's not all great. I can deal with weirdos and creeps; what pisses me off is management likes to fuck with me."

"How so?" He was concerned.

"Don't worry, it's nothing too bad. They like to move my schedule without warning me, ask me to go active on my supposed days off, they don't have to tell me on the way if the client modifies the booking... I also can't blacklist clients I just don't want to see unless they actually break an agency policy. In short, it's a lot of shit that'd be easier to deal with if they just let my schedule and terms be my schedule and terms. That and I'd like a bit more control in who I see -- if I'm fucking for a living, I want to at least have some say in the matter."

"Have you ever thought about going independent, doing your own business for yourself with nobody taking cuts from you, having the right to set your own terms, choose your own clients, and all that?"

"Yes, I have, actually. I just don't know if i want to sink the money into advertising, do my own screening, and so on. It's a lot of work, even if I could name my own price."

"You should try Canterlot. It's got a thriving independent scene, though, if the sheer number of ads is anything to go by. I mean, there're escorts for every budget. And it's full of unmarried young guys looking for some lovin', especially near the guard barracks." He squeezed her inner thigh and she giggled.

"Thanks, I'll think of that. And what's your budget?" she asked.

"Not much; I'm functionally between jobs right now, so broke eighteen year old life, yay."

She smiled and laughed, "Hey, I'm eighteen, too!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, just graduated school a few months ago."

"No way! Would've you thought of it, there we were, a couple of kids in school, living practically identical lives, and we just happen to meet for a hookup in a Canterlot hotel room out of the blue? What are the odds?"

The mare held her chin, lost in thought. "One in six hundred and eighty thousand."

Shining blinked. "How did you get that?"

"Math was my best subject," she giggled, "I'm doing this because it pays loads better-"

"Loads."

"You asshole - than anything else I could get paid nowhere near as good; gotta go back to school first."

Shining agreed, "Yeah. You're really smart, you know that?"

"I'm not really that smart," admitted Sugar with a blush.

"But you're good at math; I nearly got held back in eight and ninth grade because of math."

"Awww, poor boy. I'm great at math, but I suuuuck at literature. The teachers wanted me to explain what the fucking color of someone's shirt meant. The author writes that the mare's shirt is yellow. I take that to mean the shirt is fucking yellow. The teacher expects a four page essay about how her shirt is her entire character and is a symbol for her vivacity and resilience."

"Fuck that shit," Shining said.

"I know, right?"

"Totally." He stroked her breasts and squeezed the petite orbs a little. "Anyway, how'd you get those numbers? Is it magic?"

She scoffed, "Do you see a horn? I had to do a senior project looking at inter city tourism. I did a quick assessment based off of yearly Canterlot to Manehattan traffic, then breakdown by age and gender, then apply the general proportion them who pay for sex per annum, then apply the proportion of clients of roughly your age group. I'm using old figures and lots of rounding, but I'm pretty sure it's accurate; I've won math bowls before."

He whistled, "Shit, Sugar, you're a genius."

She giggled, "You're just saying that because you're leaking out from between my legs."

"No, really, I mean it. I never won honors anything; the only thing I ever won was field hockey."

"You play field hockey, too?"

He nodded. "City championships three times, regional champs once."

"That's awesome!"

They talked for a long period of time about field hockey. Sadly, it could not last forever.

Sugar's phone rang. She walked over to pick it up. She looked at him with a frown. "I'm sorry, Shiny, but I got to go."

"That sucks, sure was nice seeing you. Hey, can I give you my number?"

She nodded. "This is just my work phone. It's against policy to do this, but..." She made a quick note that he copied down. "That's my personal number. When you're done with your family shit and got time to see me, let me know."

"Will do." He was grinning broadly as he fired off the text. At long last, they had to say goodbye. Shining Armor walked Sugar Swirl to the door, his hand on her ass. They kissed on last time, a peck on the lips. He opened the door, she stepped out looking like a mare very well loved, and then he shut it behind her. Shining Armor stumbled over to the bed and collapsed onto it. Oh what a mare!

________________________________________

The two mares sat across from one another. The restaurant had the same semi upscale atmosphere as the bar, only with more chandeliers instead of the postmodern lights behind colored glass that the bar had favored. It was darker in here. he zebra and the pony were having tense words. Their meals and drinks had been finished for quite some time -- the ice in the beverages had all melted, and the pink one had drunk all the melt from hers. Her fingers were tented and her brow furrowed as she spoke to the towering zebra, who was far less tense looking, moving with calm ease, but applying some knife hands the alicorn's way.

"All I'm saying, your grace, is that if you're bothered by watching the colt screw around, you should let him know."

"But I don't have that right," Cadance said, "I'm also not paying for him to fuck."

Poppy Lilac laughed, "So says the mare who financed a forty-eight hour escort booking in my name, paid for out of her own pocket, and also got him an escort appointment."

"Staff Sergeant!" Cadance growled. "You are currently on duty and in public and I would appreciate it if you would at least try to hold some kind of bearing."

Ngolatane's creases of laughter and smile vanished. "Yes, princess."

"Thank you, staff sergeant. As I was saying, I am not bankrolling anyone's sexual adventures. The first was necessary to get Velvet over here so we could work on fixing the family issues she is at the core of. The second was because I can't let a guy who I know is better than that just get away with misbehaving because he was angry. I am supposed to to foster morality and good relations among my subjects. It was also a good manhood lesson to make him learn."

"Understood, princess. May i ask you a question?"

"Yes, Poppy."

Ngolatane asked, "What are you hoping to get out of this? It is obvious you like him, but is all this really necessary?"

Cadance said, "Shining Armor is more than just some guy, he is the big brother best friend forever of Celestia's current apprentice and filly I know very well and like a lot. Celestia has high hopes for both of them, and me too."

"So you are acting on Celestia's orders?"

Cadance shook her head emphatically. "Not at all; this is my own initiative. Think of it as using my powers to personally help a family very dear to my heart."

"And speaking of dear to your heart, what are you going to do about your Shining problem?"

Cadance stared and started, "I do not have feelings for Mister Armor. He is a friend and nothing more."

"Please, your grace, I see the way you look at him. You really like that Sparkle boy. You have to decide how you're going to handle him."

"I went over this yesterday with Velour. I am going to be professional yet friendly with him while I am solving this love problem. After that, if things so shape up, if he so desires, we may begin romantic involvement," she explained with all the flair of stale bran flakes.

"Is that how you truly feel, does that satisfy you?"

"Does it matter? I'm doing this because it's my job."

Poppy said, "If you say so, princess. I know I'll be seeing you two off tomorrow, but you will have several hours with him on the train. If there is anything you mean to say to him before things get busy with his family back at home, that would be the time."

“It’s not anything base on my part.”

“Well base or not, if you want to say something to him, best make your move and soon. He is a fun young man in good shape; it won’t be long until he’s snapped up like fresh taro, unless you really are content with being in his friend zone. The way you look at him…”

Cadance was hugging herself, her cheeks tinged darker. “So what if I’m attracted to him? I’ve known him for years, I just don’t know if he’s right for me in that way.”

“Do you have anything to lose by not at least trying? Maybe he really likes you too and just doesn’t know how to go about it?”

“I’ll take that under advisement, Staff Sergeant, thank you.”

“You’re welcome, princess.”

“So, shall we go, Poppy?”

“Let’s.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's all at a boil. Night Light demands answers Velvet can't give. Cadance's true feelings come out.

Madam Eventide Velour entered the familiar apartment. She returned the stallion's greeting. "M'lady, you do me too much honor."

"To much honor? Why not just you, good gentlestallion?" Before she went to go check the donation, Velour said something completely without pretense to her favorite client. "Adze, really, thank you so much." He smiled at her. They kissed. She took his envelope, went into the bathroom, and checked the contents. All good. She sighed. The things the gestalt did for her core. Adze Chisel was such a good client. Him seeing her again so soon despite her rates and surcharge was honestly amazing. She owed him a free session. Okay, maybe not that much, at least not yet, but definitely could maybe find a way to add some extra time to one of their later ones as thanks. If his help truly went places, maybe she'd suck up the pain to let him hilt in her. Take some ibuprofen in advance, maybe a few drinks to loosen her up, get stretched beforehand with a toy -- no, bad Velour, drunk escorting rated up in bad decisions alongside swimming during a lightning storm.

She did one last pre play check. Silicone lube already applied, condoms already placed on the bedside table, money in her purse. Okay, everything in order, time to play her part so he'd play his.

The sex worker came back out of the bathroom. She kissed her client again, this time more deeply by applying some tongue. He did not hesitate to answer in kind. His hands sank lower and soon copped a feel of her ass. They squeezed. She gave a practiced twitch ad shudder, pressing her body closer to his. She could feel his erection building in anticipation of what she had in store for him. She felt horny herself, knowing the effect she was having on him, the sense of power and femininity it gave her. She kissed him deeply and he returned it. She pushed her chest against him, practically climbing up to his lips. He put a second hand under her ass and she climbed up him, throwing her arms around his neck. she didn't know who started getting properly turned on first, but she did smell the sweat and pheromones beginning to fill the small bedroom of the apartment.

It started out just like last time. He was a predictable man. "My lady, thank you for coming to my humble bower. Would you do this gentlecolt the honor of ascending his bed?"

"Certainly, Mister Chisel," agreed Velour with a practiced smile. She stripped nude and got on the bed; he didn't like playing clothed half so much as he liked the costume and fantasy. He climbed up after her, naked too, his dick in his hand. He knelt by her shoulder and she took his dick into her mouth. She worked it back and forth, up and down with her tongue. He got hard fast.

"Your lips are simply marvelous, Madam Velour," he complimented as he stroked her hair. She teased him back with a flourish of her tongue over his tip. He dug his strong fingers into her. "I beg your pardon, I am not so vigorous this liaison, still worn in my parts by your smashing performance at our last meeting."

Velour popped off his dick to answer, "Fear not, my good gentlestallion, for I have the nocturnal craft of a night demoness." With that she resumed the blowjob. She rubbed his balls gently with the pads of her fingers. Presently she felt his fingers touch her down low.

"You are a spectacular harlot, aroused at my first touch." Velour stifled an inward giggle and instead let out a muffled moan as two fingers sunk inside immediately while a thumb found its way to her clit. He was good. She felt his sack tighten ever so slightly as she took him to halfway, as far as her mortal jaw would allow without being torn by his truly mammoth endowment. He started his touch heavy, then he backed off to very light, almost tickling pressure. And every so often he would flick the very tip of his thumb across the sensitive underside of her clit, making her shudder for real. His fingers worked inside, stretching her out and rubbing at her spots. He remembered her body perfectly. He raked his fingers back towards himself. Eventide opened her mouth to moan for real. She anticipated his touch, almost was hungry for it.

The pleasure grew within her. She tried to match, but it was growing fast. She could heart her juices as he fingered her faster, felt the thump-thump of her accelerating heart in her temples. She gave true moans as she blew him. She tasted his precum leak She wondered if she should ask him if he wanted to cum in her mouth; he was a one and done kind of guy, and she didn't want to make him pop in the first five minutes just from a blowjob when she'd more or less begged him to book a special session to do her a massive favor.

He touched her face. "Oh, my lady." He trembled and guided her gently. "Tis a great fortune to see you twice this moon."

Just a few days. Night got back the day I'd seen him last, a few days with him, then that two day booking in Manehattan, and now back to him again. Fuck, Twilight, that's not even a full week!

She let him decide whether or not to give her something to drink. She resolved to take him deep if he did to avoid the taste of cum; his always just had an awful aftertaste that lingered for hours. His dick was bulging. He called her name and cooed and swore. She shut her eyes and just turned off her brain as she devoted herself to his pleasure. Back and forth, varying the angle, dancing about with her tongue in between steady, heavy licks, going from low to high suction and then back again, sometimes popping off completely to admire his cock and let him regain just enough sensitivity to make him shudder and hiss as she took him in again. He trembled.

She was feeling good herself. He knew her inside and out, and his strong, dexterous fingers were more up for the task. She felt the tension mounting in her pelvis. Electric tingles started out in her clit, went to her cunt, and then dangled down to her labia. How she hungered for his tongue, something just a little more. As if answering her prayer, a second hand came to her breast. It found her nipple and immediately her chest grew warm with embers of delight. Her breath came hot and damp through her nose, her cheeks flushing dark silver almost taking on a pewter color. She fought to keep pleasuring her partner even as her body cried out in delight. He cloyed at her chest, neglecting neither generous mound, showing her tits the proper attention. Velour freely moaned and hummed through her nose. He hooked his fingers forward, found her sensitive place, and jiggled them. She immediately quivered like a girl first discovering herself, her thighs rapidly turning to jelly. Kneeling wasn't a bad way to take an orgasm. She popped him out of her mouth. She peppered his dick with kisses and light licks going up and down while he engaged her pussy. Then she engulfed him again with her hot mouth.

"Oh, bless yooooooouuu!" he strained.

The mare was quivering. More precum leaked from his tip. Eventide Velour prepared to take him deep as he came. However, he pulled out of her mouth and lay on the bed, pulling her down beside him without a word. "My apologies, but it would be discourteous to finish so soon. I beg a moment's rest, perhaps may I show you my appreciation?"

Velour didn't hesitate. She almost broke character to say something different, but she caught it -- what were a couple minutes to the whole hour; fuck it, she set her own rates and was her own boss -- give him all day if it took that to help Velvet. She needed a human perspective she simply lacked. She spun around acrobatically and spread her legs for him. He dug in immediately. His lips went down to her pussy and the pleasure immediately resumed. Velour could spent all day just getting eaten out like that.

The tongue swirled around inside her. It darted in and out, up and down. It swelled to thicken before licking at her walls, then it shrank to tease around her labia. His lips kissed at her opening deeply as if he were making out with it. He kissed her clit gently, preferring to bathe it with his tongue. She tensed and sighed. She held her arms over her head to stretch out, pressing against the headboard of the stallion's bed so she could leverage her hips at him. She was his to use.

Her breathing sped and her heart pounded. The pleasure was getting overwhelming. He didn't stop or slow. He sensed what was driving her wild and repeated it. He grabbed her thighs to anchor her in his grasp.

It felt so good. His mouth felt amazing. She was losing control. Sheets of pleasure were blanketing her mind. She couldn't do much but pant and gasp at him, writhing slightly in his grasp. Moans escaped her lips.

She called out to him, to warn him what she was about to do, but he didn't care. "My good gentlecolt! I am at my limit!" He instead savaged her clit. She pealed out a high note. Velour came, almost shrieking from the euphoria between her legs. Red hot pleasure pulsated from her pussy and wiped out all intelligent thoughts in her head. She thrashed and groaned, calling his name. He lapped hard at her clit and she screamed each time, panting as if running a mile at a sprint, her body spasming utterly out of her control. She knew she pled for more, for him, and he obliged. Her heart almost leapt from her mouth and her lungs paralyzed. She started to fade, and so he let her be.

She fell limp like a sack of flour into her own cooling sweat. She swore it steamed. He knelt between her legs. She watched him take a condom from the table and put it on, discarding the wrapper. She smiled. "Wouldst thou?"

"Verily," he agreed. He maneuvered her onto her side, her legs together, then he entered her. She was warmed up excellently, and he was careful but quick. He fucked her. Her sensitivity made her moan immediately. She reached up a hand and put it on his muscular chest.

She provoked him, "I am yours, sir."

He did not delay. He fucked her. Her thighs kept clenched provided excellent transmission for the vibrations and pressure as he took her. Her secretions were leaking out and onto her thighs. She knew this position would made her extra tight; maybe they'd cum together and fast?

The pleasure mounted immediately. She felt so good with this male inside her, filling her insides. Being fucked by him was a thrill. Her cheeks were blazing, doubtlessly a dark pewter with blush by now. she felt him hard inside her. His one hand clamped onto her ass and the other went up to her chest. He played with her there and made her shudder. He slowed down, opting for pressure over speed. More carefully he brought his face down to hers, peppering kisses along her side, her rips, the top of her breasts, on her nipple, her neck, her cheek, and finally on her lips. He found a sweet spot on he r insides and just kept hitting it, making her eyes roll up in her head. She was nearing a second peak. Higher up, oh he was an excellent kisser, teasing with the lips to open them, then dancing around with is tongue, never trying to shove it, instead toying with her like she was a cat chasing a feather duster. She moaned into his mouth, caressing his hair. She invited him into her. Her little squeaks made his thrusts accelerate. He clenched harder at her body. She wasn't going to let him last long.

He squeezed her breast. She used just the least bit of magic to rub at his length. Sparks of pleasure begging for the blaze shot through her. He twitched. He broke the kiss. "Madam Velour..."

"Yes, my lo-"

He never finished his sentence. He surged forward with a cry. She felt him pulsing inside as the wave of bliss took her again. He cried out, plunging deep into her. She hissed in pain mixed with pleasure. He spilled himself into her, pumping out blast after blast of virile seed into his quaking partner as they came together. She was going to be sore, but this was so worth it. Eventide Velour came, being fucked by Adze Chisel as her body provoked his to give its ultimate response. She pulled his neck down to kiss her and invaded with her tongue, moaning her pleasure into him, letting him return it to her.

He pawed her breasts, his other hand squeezing her ass hard as he still worked in and out of her quivering body, her hot cunt. She milked him for everything he had, taking satisfaction in a job well done, and eating up the pleasure he was giving her, too.

His legs gave out and he plopped out to fall behind her, hugging her from behind, two strong arms around her soft tummy.

"That was splendid, my lady, a radiant performance."

"Your appreciation is noted, your grace." He hugged her closer to him. The condom was still on his dick all swollen with semen. He took it off, tied it shut, and nailed the trash can with a blind lob. "Nice throw." He laughed and tickled her, prompting giggles back from the candy-maned mare.

They cuddled and talked quietly. They just enjoyed each other's company and warmth. Nothing beat a sweet cuddle session after a hard banging. He ran his fingers through her mane and she purred happily. She teased a little with her rump to see if he had any more energy, but his balls were drained. She smiled. He rested his head on her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her and cradling her breasts, kneading and massaging them softly. He kissed her cheek and she giggled quietly. At one point she shut her eyes and went still. He let her. She trusted him.

When she stirred again, he teased her, "Good morning, my lady?"

"M-morning? How long was I out?"

He laughed, "I jest, it was just a few minutes." She relaxed. "Anyway, you said you wanted to talk seriously with me about something, something that could help someone?" The roleplay was done and he was speaking frankly.

Velour nodded. "Yes. Let me face you." He let go of her while she rolled over. "Thank you so much, Adze, for this. You're a lifesaver."

"Well I do have a soft spot for beautiful women. So, how can I help you? Please tell me you aren't trying to get me to do construction for free."

Velvet laughed, "Oh nothing like that, I just need some manly advice for a friend."

"Can't you give it yourself? I'm just a blue collar idiot who pays you enough to swallow your disgust and spread your legs."

"I like you, Adze; ain't tellin ya much, but trust I like our playtime."

"Thanks, but all this effort just to get some advice to give to pass on, Eventide?"

Velour held a silence. "Are you familiar with gestalts?"

"Yes, vaguely... Why?" He cocked an eyebrow. She didn't say anything. He met her eyes and smiled. "O-oh, don't tell me..."

"Yeah."

"Cognitive limits?"

"Yup. I'm programmed to be a nympho, really good in bed, and charming." She was tense again, not softening into his gentle touch on her arm.

"You don't seem that limited to me."

Velour sighed, "You'd spot it in a second outside of our sessions."

"I don't believe that."

"To show you I'm serious, ask me a question."

"Am I wearing underwear?" Adze joked.

"Not since I had something to say about it. Come on, I'm good at flirting, fucking, and being vacuous."

"Do you want me to write you a test?" the stallion offered flatly.

"N- actually, yes. Just make it a few questions long, general knowledge -- useless shit you learned in school." She was still tense.

He nodded and said, "Okay, Velour... ummm... what is the atomic number of Calcium?"

Velour paused, a finger on her chin. "Seventeen?"

"Twenty. Too hard?"

"Just right."

He smiled. "Okay, now what's a trapezoid."

"A regular quadrilateral shape with two parallel sides and two inwardly angled sides."

"That's right."

"Well I ain't no idjit. Another."

"Let's see... who was the third Grand Majordomo of Equestria?"

"I don't know?"

"The pegasus mare Gust Gull. Another?"

"Three more," said Velour.

Adze Chisel readjusted his position. He stretched out to make himself more comfortable , cricking his neck into alignment. Velour admired his toned body. This was a man, a man's man. He had a huge cock -- definitely bigger soft than Shining was hard. To be impaled on it.. She growled at herself, her programming was her curse. She couldn't switch off her sexuality even when she needed to take her head out from between her legs for five goddamn minutes for the sake of some extremely urgent business. Velour did the same and adjusted her position.

Adze said, "Okay, what country is to the east of Equestria?"

"Griffiya?"

"Nice try, but there is no country to the east, it's all ocean. Now, who lead the unicorns to Equestria?"

"I don't know."

"Princess Platinum -- the neighbor's daughter could tell me that!"

"Ass. One more?"

"You're walking in the desert," he began. "It's hot, it's sandy, it's blazing. You come across a tortoise flipped onto its back. It's flailing there, roasting in the sun. It can't get back up on its legs without your help,but you're not helping, why is that?"

"What even? What the heck's a tortoise?"

"Like a turtle but with legs."

"I thought all turtles had legs."

Just colloquially," excused Adze. "Anyway, why aren't you helping the tortoise onto its back?"

Velour paused, looking at him. "What kind of question is this. I don't know, because I'll get poisoned if I touch it? Because I don't see it? Regardless, there's no reason for me to help it."

"A-hah!" Adze shouted. "You really are a gestalt." He smacked her ass playfully. "The purpose of the last question was to check for empathy. I learned it while working on a frontier dam by changeling territory near Isla Fantasha. The guards stationed there with us did checks every day. The response of a normal pony is to say that they'd help the tortoise because that's just the nice thing to do. You said there was no point." Velour nodded. "Changelings, although they eat feelings, particularly love, don't have genuine empathy; it's all an act -- they'd say either ignore it or kill it. Empathy is also something that ponies often forget to program into their gestalts. So some pony comes along, seems okay, but can't figure out the tortoise question, he'd get marked and get a second look. Few questions, quick flash of a revealer spell, and they'd know for sure. Only time it didn't work was when we had a couple who were neuroatypical."

Velour said, "That's brilliant, and you use big words for a self-proclaimed moron."

"I know, right?" He grew more serious. "Hey, if you don't mind me asking you a personal question, don't you mind being a synthetic consciousness?" He looked tense, as if he was expecting a smack.

Velour laughed, "Not at all, not in my programming, and core or gestalt, we all get switched off sooner or later, do we not?"

"That answers my question, thanks, now what was yours?"

Velour's tension returned immediately. "I know someone who's been having an affair. She knows her husband suspects her, but doesn't know what to do about it. She's pretty much just waiting for the ax to fall and doesn't know if she should just tell him herself, or wait until he confronts her about it. There's a chance she's just scaring herself, but it's not very likely to be all in her head."

He scratched his head, giving her a confused look. "I don't know, Velour, shit. If I were her, I guess... I guess I'd confess and come clean, offer a huge apology and swear to make things right."

"Shiiiiit. She is not going to like that."

"Do you have any better ideas?"

"I wish I did. Thanks, Adze."

He held his escort close. "It's the least I could do." He glanced at his clock. "Speaking of doing, you're hitting your hour."

"I know. Do you mind if I impose on you a little longer?"

He chuckled, "By all means, impose on me all you like."

She smiled at him. "You're the best." She brushed her thigh against his dick and kissed him. She grabbed another condom in her magic. "Wanna play?"

'We cannot live this fantasy forever, Velour.'

'Oh, I know, Velvet, but there's no sense in rushing to our doom, is there?'

____________________**********____________________

Shining Armor was staring out the window. He and Cadance were sitting together in immediately adjacent seats. He watched the landscape go by. The dense city center was rundown, not that he saw much of it as the train drove through huge, dark tunnels. The departure had been a crawl, starting and stopping in a labyrinthine spider web of junctions and sidings for an hour. They were now leaving Manehattan. After weeks away, he was going home.

Home.

A ball of acid formed in the pit of his stomach. He stared at the message in his phone. "Son, I need to talk to you. It's urgent. -Dad".

The stately skyscrapers and glass exteriors were giving way to lower, more squat buildings that looked more dilapidated. Some windows were out and they had old AC units hanging from their windows. The word seedy came to mind. They were in a more blue collar part of town now. Shining looked behind him. Cadance was gone. He put that out of his mind as he stared out the window as they plunged once more into a dark tunnel, seeing his own face reflected in the void. He frowned. His eyes looked a little bloodshot, his cheeks drawn and gaunt, and his hair a bit stringy. His coat looked dull and maybe just the least bit matted. He looked like a wreck in progress.

He contemplated his phone. Should he answer back? Should he not? If he did, would it maybe reduce what was coming his way, or would it only be worse confirming his fears? What would happen if his dad called him and roared right into his ear about the awful truth of the things he'd been doing with his wife while he was away? Would he even have a home to return to? He was old enough to be legally kicked out. Was he going to be homeless?

No, he couldn't be. He'd've gotten a message saying to not even bothering coming home. Night Light wasn't a cruel stallion, Shiny knew that. He'd also gotten chastisements over the phone before; it wasn't like he had a taste for dishing out punishment in person or waiting for later to let him have it.

They reemerged into the light. He pickuped up his phone. It had locked itself. He unlocked it and went into his messages. He typed out with great trepidation, "On my way home right now, actually. Should I be worried about anything?" Just to try to appear more carefree, he even included a selfie of himself against the window. The white stallion sent it out. The tension went out of his shoulders and he sagged like a burlap sack of potatoes. Okay, that was done, so far so good.

He stared out into space. He watched the buildings shrink, becoming shorter, dirtier, and sparser. They went into the outskirts, then the suburbs, and then finally it was open countryside without even roads in sight. He leaned closer to the window. He saw green, so much green. And the flowers of summer were in bloom. How pretty.

Two eyes reflected in the window. He jumped. "Easy there," Cadance laughed, sitting back down next to him.

"I-I'm fine!" Shining ruffled indignantly. "You just startled me ."

"Sorry," she said, "you're just so tense; didn't mean to."

"Can you blame me?"

"No," Cadance admitted, "I'd be tearing my mane out, too."

"Haven't gotten that far," Shining laughed, curling some strands of his hair between his fingers and tugging lightly. Anyway, my dad messaged me and I messaged him back."

The princess asked, "What did he say?"

"Just he wants to talk to me and it's urgent. I told him I'm on my way back." Ding! Shining's phone went off. He glanced at it. His lips drew into tight lines.

"Shining?"

He said slowly, "Its not about me, it's about mom."

"Shiiiiiit," hissed Cadance under her breath, her eyes meeting his. "Okay, what else?"

"Nothing, can't say I'm reassured." The princess stopped thruming like a drawn string.

"Do you think he knows?"

"Would it make a difference now? If he does, I'm fucked, if not, he's not finding out during these next few hours. All I can do is trust mom, as crazy as that sounds."

"Sounds totally nuts," Cadance agreed, touching him gently on the arm. "Um, Shining, can I ask you a question?"

He turned to look at her. "Uh, sure, what is it?"

"If it isn't too private..."

He saw her blush. "Yeah?" He swallowed.

"Was she your first by any chance?"

He couldn't meet her gaze. "Yeah, she was my first -- as Velour, I mean... Why?"

"Velour told me. I wanted to make sure it was true."

"Well, it's true, Cadance." The mare shrunk in her seat. Shining offered her his hand. She took it.

She said, "I had been hoping it wasn't. Maybe it was a smokescreen to try keeping you as a customer or to mess with me. I guess I find it kinda sad."

He looked into her eyes. "Why is it sad? I was looking to have sex for the first time and I got what I wanted."

The pink alicorn answered, "I find it sad that a guy like you couldn't find a nice girl on your own to do it with. You're handsome, you're witty, and you've got so much potential it's honestly shocking that no filly snapped you up like a fresh donut."

His eyes widened. Here was Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, an impossible beauty renowned all over Equestria, remarking that she couldn't believe that he hadn't found a marefriend, let alone not been propositioned by any fillies. He blushed and grinned from ear to ear. "Anyway, Cadance, if you don't mind me asking, what was your first time like?"

Cadance scoffed, "It wasn't really all that great. There was a guy at one of the towns I went to while learning how to be a princess. I liked him and he liked me. We were just a couple of teenagers. We did teenager stuff. Made out behind the shed, he played in this godawful screamo band, even wrote a song about me."

Shining laughed, "You dated a musician?"

"Yeah, I did. Eyeliner, tight jeans, studded belt, and everything."

"I never took you for the sort to be a groupie." Shining mimed playing air guitar, thrashing his head and badly mouthing the noises.

"I-I wan't a groupie, dude -- shut up," she snapped back as she failed to hide her laughter, playfully punching his arm as he pretended like it actually stung.

"Okay okay I'm sorry. So what's the story about how the pink pony princess of pussy pounding got her pink pony princess pussy pounded?"

"L-O-V-E."

"Love, love, same thing." Shining didn't say it, but he was marveling that he was taking to freaking Princess Cadance now as comfortably as he would his friends. He couldn't have imagined this back all that time ago at the water park. He felt comfortable with her, not just okay with her presence, not just okay with talking to her, but genuinely comfortable with being around her and talking to her, and she was enjoying his company just as much, based on how she was laughing with him and also the way she twirled her mane in her hands...

Cadance balked, "Do you wanna hear about my first time or not?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Well you did ask for it. Anyway, alcohol was a factor. We were at this party, everypony drinking... we'd been making out a lot for months. I'd touched his dick, he'd felt my tits. We'd rubbed through clothes a few times, I once sucked his dick in the locker room after school and he'd gotten cum all over my face and in my eye trying to act out that thing they do in pornos," Cadance chucked. "Maybe it was the booze, maybe it was how he confided in me his parents were out of town and their king size bed was available, maybe it was because I'd worn a short dress with nothing underneath and been sitting in his lap, getting quite frisky and then he'd reached up... So we end up on the bed. He sees me naked for the first time and he can't imagine his luck."

"I bet."

"I'm staring at his dick. It's huge. We lay down on the bed and start making out, rubbing each other. Suddenly, I feel something splash my hand."

"No way!" Shining burst out laughing, clapping her on the back.

The blushing princess seethed, "Yes, he came all over my hand. And thigh. And the bed."

"You could've just said teenage boy musician."

Cadance laughed and then grew somber. Shining Armor wondered what to do. He thought back to his friends. So that's what she was now, his friend. He knew the best thing to do for a friend who stopped partway in a story was for him to be patient and wait it out. So he waited for Cadance to regain her bearing. "So after that, he ran away in shame and we never hooked up again..."

"Ouch. I'm sorry."

"Not your fault. I'm not a virgin -- had some guys -- did it with another guy for real a couple months later. I still count the musician as my first... I had never revealed myself before a male before. I've been naked before; in front of my parents, doctors, friends in the reindeer sauna, but it was different... I can't say what it's like to be vulnerable before a girl, but if it's anything alike, you must understand."

Shining Armor selected his words. "I do. I've never told anyone this before, not even mom or Twiley, or my friends -- only Velour knows this, but I tried to ask out a mare in high school. She yelled at me that she'd rather die than ever be with me. Others all shot me down, not as hard, but it left a mark..."

"Sounds shitty." Cadance hugged him. He let her. "I don't think you're ugly. I would have snapped you up like candy if I were them." She felt him tense. He gave something like a weird, choked chuckle, but it was followed by no words.

"Thanks, Cadance. And, Cadance, I'm sorry that guy ran away from you on the bed." He hugged her back.

They were quiet. Being able to trust someone else with these hurts and embarrassments was too nice or them to want to do anything as the train went in and out of tunnels, passing farmlands and forests.

"Shiny, why did he run away? I'd let him play with me while we waited for round two. He leaned against her and she reciprocated, talking gently into her ear."

Shining answered, "It was shitty of him, Cadance. He was just a teenager who got overexcited and embarrassed. I guess he didn't want you to turn on him or something."

"Yeah. It was. I, uhhh, I never told anybody else about what happened..."

"I see why. Don't worry, Cadance, I won't tell anyone else."

"Thanks, Shiny." She relaxed against him. She stroked his muscles and murmurred, "You're a good guy -- hot, too."

He wanted to add some humor, but he was still confused by such comments. "You've said that before."

"Because it's true," she insisted.

Baffled, he asked, "How am I hot? I'm just a regular unicorn."

"You're smart, you stand up for yourself, you have muscular arms, you've go a nice face, a pair of soft lips... how I like lips..." He found himself leaning closer to her. She was staring right below his eyes. "I intentionally slow down when I see you jogging..."

"Go on?" he asked, blushing faintly.

She leaned in, putting her should against his. "Well, you've got a sense of right and wrong, you treat me like I'm not just a princess, you've got a sharp mind, courageous, strong, some real empathy..."

Something was very wrong. This could not be happening. He broke eye contact to blurt, "Fletched Arrow -- you'd love him!"

"No no no! Not him. Somebody else! Think, there's only one pony I know who meets that description! Do I know him!?" Cadance half yelled.

He paused. "What are you trying to say?" She was licking her lips, looking him dead in the eyes. Was he about to be punched?

Cadance seized his face with both hands and kissed him full on the mouth, lunging onto him and embracing him in her wings. He tasted strawberries and sugar. His eyes widened. He could not believe this. She was kissing him. Princess Cadance was kissing HIM! It wasn't some chaste peck or quick thing, it was a full on, lusty, sloppy, deep kiss full of passion as she tried to eat up as much of him as she could. "Shining Armor, you are a goddamn moron, and I really really really really like you! A lot!"

Shining Armor didn't know what to say. He was kissing Cadance! And now she was climbing atop him. He put a hand on her hip and drew her closer. She ground against him, looking right down -- she had at least a full foot on him in height. He felt himself get hard. He dug his fingers into Cadance, kissing her back. He pressed the counterattack, and she was all too happy to drink up his reply. She smelled and tasted sweet. He looped both his hands behind her waist. She was so slender it was unreal -- she may have been thinner than Vel despite being substantially taller. He felt her fine, toned muscles working against him. It was too easy to imagine her body writhing with those few layers of fabric removed and them letting their instincts take full control of their bodies. He remembered her story; what if she wasn't wearing panties beneath her tight dress?

Cadance was not telling him to stop. If anything, she was asking for more. She was deepening the kiss. He shut his arms to lose himself in her embrace. He felt her move her arm and then her mane cascaded over them both; she had undone her ponytail. She rubbed more deliberately against his hardening dick. She could not be unaware of just how aroused she was making him. he sniffed deliberately and got a whiff of female pheromones. Holy shit! He was having an effect on this goddess made flesh! She stroked his face. She was so soft and gentle. He relaxed and then licked her lips to answer her. She liked lips, right? He deepened the kiss -- for all he cared, she could gorge on them until her stomach tore! Moans of pleasure came from her. Oh wow. OH WOW! Her fingers were running through his hair and patting him on the head. She sucked on his bottom lip without tongue and then pulled back. He puckered and she ate him up, reengaging with tongue to just tease at his tip. He kissed back at hers, giving it caressing strokes while his fingers gently rubbed their tips into her back. He could feel her bones. Her fine, lithe, avian bones.

"Pegasus before alicorn?"

"How could you tell?"

"You're so light. Tight little body..."

"Fifty points for figuring out how I figured you a unicorn," she teased back before kissing him again. They made out like mad. Cadance said, "You have nice lips. I always wondered what it would be like to kiss you."

"Uh, thanks?"

"I mean it... yours like are really nice. I've been staring at them for days, just wondering what they tasted like."

"And what do they taste like?"

"Savory, maybe some nutty flavors -- think cashews."

"Well, you taste like... what is that flavor... beeswax?" His face scrunched.

Cadance groaned, "Fuck me, I forgot I'm wearing chapstick."

"Anything else unseen you're wearing?" He had to admit he a wetness through his pants.

"Yes, actually..." Cadance smiled down at him. Shining Armor hugged around her neck and kissed up at her. She invited him and he took it.

Shining Armor stopped hugging the svelte mare to take a hand to her chest. He brushed it. She did not object, rather she gasped and she rubbed her nethers against his erection. He knew he was against her slit. His instincts were running wild. Glory glory what a hell of a way to die -- molesting a princess! He brushed her breast again. She didn't stop him. He opened his eyes to see hers were shut in happiness. He closed his eyelids as he closed his fingers to fondle the modest breast. Small and squishy. She hadn't been lying earlier; the princess was wearing a bra. She kissed him deeper and he rubbed his thumb around the presumed center of the lump. Cadance quivered, she gasped. He kissed her to swallow up her moan and she allowed it. Oh, Celestia, he could not believe what was happening! Was she going to have sex with him? She was getting excited, and if she asked, he'd pounce her before she'd concluded the sentence.

Shining Armor felt himself blushing and starting to pant. He kissed back up at the beauty above him. She was welcoming him with her mouth and embracing him with her arms. It was like something out of his adolescent fantasies, and out of the past weeks of madness, he did not hesitate to reciprocate the mare's affections. His hand on on her breast went up and stroked her mane, starting at between her shoulders an going down her back along with the long, cascading locks. He would have reached higher, but Cadance was simply too tall for him to reach. Her fabulous muscles could be felt -- he'd heard pegasus mares were marvelously muscled, but he didn't know if this was by nature or by conditioning, and to be honest, he didn't care. The most gorgeous mare he'd ever known in his life was straddling his hips and kissing him with a blazing intensity fit to ignite a cloud of noble gasses.

Shining was lost in the kiss, drinking up his beautiful alicorn. He tried to drink in some more, only to find his lips meet empty air.

"Shining, we can't do this."

He opened his eyes. Cadance's pinks were staring at him poignantly. He rebutted, "What, why? Aren't you having fun?"

She shook her head. "I am, Shining, but it feels wrong to do this to you... at least right now. I want to kiss you, and more -- I'm the princess of love... More than that, I can't just make out with you out of the blue. I like you a lot and now I know your lips taste just as good as they look, but I'd be taking advantage of your attraction to me and your emotional state if I didn't stop you. I'm sorry."

"Are you fucking with me?" he asked, trying to not betray just how furious he was right now -- the hottest, greatest makeout of his life with the sexiest mare he'd ever known, and here she was breaking it off, and telling him no more to boot! He retracted his hands. They fell to the sides of her thighs.

"I'm sorry, but no, I'm serious."

"If you knew you couldn't do this, why on earth did you start?" Shining seethed.

Cadance got off him. She sat beside him, still towering over him. "You're reacting just like I was afraid of, you're showing why we can't."

"What the hell is it? I like you, you like me, we were making out just fine a second ago. What's the fucking problem?"

Cadance sighed, "If I tell you, will you cool your jets? You're being an asshole."

"Okay. I'm sorry."

Cadance softened her glare, but stayed domineering high over the restive male. "The problem, Shining, is firstly I'm acting officially. We princesses take our duties very seriously. It would be abusing my power and position to make you mine."

"It wouldn't be abuse; it'd be a huge favor -- I'd be willing and thrilled."

"Shining Armor, imagine if the genders here were reversed. A handsome prince comes to the aid of a frightened and desperate filly right when she most needs somepony in her corner. He helps her tackle her problem, takes her out to dinners, and makes a move on the inexperienced girl -- starts kissing her and putting her under pressure to just say yes and he'll make her his consort with all the perks that go with it. What would you say about him?"

Shining scoffed, "He'd be a cree- ooh, that does make sense..."

"Glad you see it. I'm sorry I nearly overstepped my bounds. Do you see why?"

"Kinda yeah. Sorry I didn't listen at first when you said enough. I'm just used to it a certain way and got overexcited..." He didn't meet her eyes.

Cadance grinned ruefully. "I know. You're young, impulsive, and haven't exactly had a normal sex life. Everyone's pushy and short-tempered when they're just starting out, especially guys, but we girls do it, too. I just did. It's like you're overwhelmed by this awesome, new thing and you're just terrified it's going to all go away forever if you don't snap it up at every chance you get."

"I see your point. I kinda feel that way about sex; I was still a virgin a couple months ago -- hadn't even been kissed. No dates, no nothing, not even a single sign from a filly they'd ever want me." Cadance was giving him a look. "I can't take a hint or make a move to save my life, sue me. Next thing I know, I'm having full on sex for real and it's just unbelievable. Part of me can't believe it, another part of me is worried that any chance I miss is my last and only chance to have it."

Cadance clucked her tongue, answering, "Aaah, a scarcity mentality. Everyone suffers from that at some point. You're immature, sorry, but you're focusing on all the sex you're not having instead of all the sex you could be having. You see an empty bed and instead of thinking about the millions of mares out there, any number of which would gladly share that bed with you if you talked and asked, you think instead about craving just one mare, all the sex in the world tied to her at that very moment, and if it doesn't work out, you panic, fearful if this is going to mean an end to doing it, returning to those decades of solitary masturbation, that all those prior trysts were just freak luck and celibacy is your real future. Does that make sense?"

"It does, I guess."

"Good, now, not to be a bitch, but do me another favor, too, don't fixate on me; there are millions of mares in Canterlot alone. I can't say if we'll work out, so I'd like you to broaden your horizons. Don't just focus on Velour, or on me. Now, last point, and this is pretty cynical, but it's true. You're a nobody. I'm a princess and can't be romantically involved with just anyone. There's not just an image to uphold, but also a real political need -- anyone I get serious with needs to bring something to the table, be it trade contacts, intellectual might, or even just military clout. Cadance is a princess and a princess is Cadance -- I can't ever be really separated from that fact. For us to even have a chance, you need to be a somebody, sooner rather than later. And going beyond just dating or whatever into marriage, that's more about politics than love; even if we do work out, fate's just as likely to conspire against as for us."

He frowned deeply. "So I'm not worthy?"

"Not in the eyes of the crown, no, now, you do have an opportunity to make your way up quickly in the guard if you follow a certain pink alicorn's advice about enlisting. A trusted major or above in the ROC with an intimate link to both the princesses politically and the command elements of the guard with some decorations for valor could make a worthy, and very handsome, suitor, perhaps a touch earlier if he managed to prove himself in their confidences, got lucky in some battles and earned a reputation through value, as the court is contentious and it would be great for the princesses to have a grip on the guard again after they've been getting increasingly unruly for the past fifteen years..."

"Don't they serve you?"

"Absolutely they do, but being that close to power makes them powerful in their own right. Want to see a princess, get something to a princess, be mentioned to a princess? Gotta go through the guard. They have a lot of funding, connections, and cultural might. Plus a ninety-nine percent monopoly on violence. And there's Vel..."

"Velvet or Velour?"

"Doesn't really matter -- I can't be with a guy who's incesting his ol broodmare, gestalt or no."

"I see," Shining said pensively. He lost the smile. "I don't know if I want to quit seeing Velour... She's amazing... I'm sorry for earlier."

Cadance took her seat again and flattened the creases in her clothes. She looked down at him. "I'm sorry I kissed you; I knew it wouldn't go well."

Shining Armor took a deep breath. His jaw was unclenched. "That's okay. If you don't mind me asking, what made you do it?"

Cadance took a very deep breath. "A lot of things... I've been attracted to you for like ever. I don't know when I'm next going to get time off the radar to just be with you one on one. I'm going to get grilled by Celestia for this; the only other princess going MIA suddenly for several days is just what she needs right now with the Summer Sun Celebration coming up. I can't hide my height, so there'll be pictures and rumors, too. She'll have to remind me of my regal bearing and how important it is to my reputation and betrothal prospects that I'm not seen galavanting around with strange stallions, let alone drinking one on one with them in bars, sharing hotel rooms, you know. Anyway, since I just was a massive cocktease, I'll explain myself. I talked to Velour a lot. She knows that I like you and she gave me some advice. She told me that if I want you, I can't just sit around forever hoping you'll suddenly catch on and ask me out. And she doesn't plan to stop seeing you so long as you'll pay her. Well, she didn't give her advice in the most conventional manner..."

Shining turned to look at her, his ears perked up. "Meaning?"

Cadance blushed and tugged at a strand of her mane. "She explained it as needing to do something to make you want me. She illustrated this by -- um, well, foreplaying me, and uh-"

"Don't say it," Shining moaned.

"I didn't, and she started it. She told me that I had to do something to get your attention so you'd pursue me by presenting something you'd be interested in -- If I want you, I have to do something to get you, or else I won't."

Shining nodded but snarked, "So you thought the perfect thing to do was to swap one hell of a makeout with me. What did Ngolatane say about that plan?"

"She didn't know, just said that this looked like my last good chance to have you alone so if I wanted to make my move, now was that time. It was Velour who gave me the idea to uh, use excitement."

Shining Armor burst out laughing. "Hahahahahaaaaa! Cadance! Oh my! Hahaha! You didn't have to do that! Ohhh, haaaaah!" He fought to stop laughing as Cadance glared at him. "Anyway anyway anyway, you didn't have to go that far, but you sure got my attention, but just saying we should go see the new Spider Mane together would have gotten it across. So you take romance advice from Velour of all people!" he wheezed.

"It was silly of me to listen to her," sighed the slender alicorn.

"No, not silly," Shining said, "I guess we're both kinda immature; I can't think for a second to save my life and you can't express yourself to save your life." He smiled at her and chuckled. Their eyes met as they genuinely grinned at each other.

"When you put it that way, perhaps you're just a regular, not a goddamn moron." She was trying to tease him.

"Thanks, Cadance." They were quiet for many long minutes as the countryside went by. Shining looked at her nervously, his eyes darting furtively back and forth between the pink pony princess and the window. He at last spoke, scratching the back of his neck nervously, "So, uh assuming this all works out, would you like to see the new Spider Mane with me?"

She smiled and answered, "Ask me after your mom's dealt with."

"Fair enough. And speaking of her, time to draw up an affirmative plan since we're only getting one shot at this?"

"Agreed. Let's."


	13. Paterfamilias

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Night Light arrives home to confront his wife and son. Secrets will be revealed and tempers flare, disaster flirts.

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza walked up to a familiar townhome in a quiet, residential part of Canterlot. She was alone for the moment. She stepped up to the stoop and stopped. The sighed, delaying the inevitable. She at last forced herself to ring the doorbell. Ding-dong! This could only go so well.

The princess counted the seconds. One-Phillydelphia, two-Phillydelphia, three-Phillydelphia, four-Phillydelphia, five-Phillydelphia, six-Phillydelphia, seven-Phillydelphia, eight-Phillydelphia.

The door opened. Before her stood Night Light in shorts and a bathrobe, his chest and torso showing as it was not tied. "Hello, Princess, come inside."

"Just Cadance; it's not like we're strangers. Nice to see you as well, Night," Cadance greeted with a smile. "I thought you were going to be gone before we could talk. What happened with your train?"

"I told the company to stuff it for a day as I'll just take a maglev express and still be there for work. Fuck em, got bigger fish to fry!" He caught her eye and saw her expression. "If you could forgive me for not being exactly in the best mood right now, that would be great,"

Cadance stepped across the threshold. "No forgiveness needed, you're under a lot of stress right now."

He closed the door behind her. "Understatement of the fucking century." He growls.

"I don't doubt it," affirmed Cadance kindly. She saw him duck towards where she knew the kitchen was. "No need to get me anything -- this visit is pure business."

Night Light ignored her and opened the tap, filling a copper kettle with water. "Oh, I insist, Cadance, please. I'm dragging you into the middle of my marital problems with no warning. The least I can do is offer you just a little refreshment. Will mint tea do it?"

"No biggie. Do you have oolong?"

"If whatever that is happens to be spelled M-I-N-T, then yeah I guess we do," laughed Night joylessly.

Cadance smiled and answered, "That's it, yes. Funny how they ponycize the original Chineigh." She lay a hand on his shoulder. Three fingers delicately brushed down to his elbow. She felt the tension in his arms through the thick terrycloth of the robe. He didn't resist. It was with a small thrill that she realized Night Light had some very nice arms, just like his son. They were strong arms. He had dependable, reassuring muscles, and from looking at his hands, a soft touch that would be just the perfect thing for a mare to feel on a shitty day. A spike of guilt struck her, remembering how she had passionately kissed his son just shortly before, groping and arousing him, almost fucking him if not for a last second pang of judgement.

Poor Night. He did not deserve what was going on. Maybe she could make it better? She felt it in the way he didn't avoid her touch, in the way he wasn't minding her standing close -- he did not hunch over to guard the teapot or obscure what he was doing. A discrete sniff. He smelled nice, kinda like a chestnut and dark chocolate mix. She could smell it from his blood, her equine nose detecting it in his sweat; unspent androgens. This stallion was in need of a mare. That was why she was here. She rubbed her thighs together. No, not him! She silently admonished herself.

She cleared her throat, forcing her mind onto the subject of her visit. "Where's your wife?"

"Sleeping upstairs."

"How was homecoming?"

"Shitty. I wasn't happy with her, she tried to seduce me, I wasn't having it, she stormed out, came home like six hours later, walked right into the bed, and fell asleep without even wishing me good night."

At least he had already figured out what she'd needed to tell Shiny to his face: don't feed the beast.

She had to find a bit of time for self-care, at least relieve the unspent pressure from her extremely hot makeout with Shiny. She'd changed underwear in the bathroom, her former pair having been soaked through. He brushed her fingers off his arm. "Cadance, take a seat, please?" His request could not have been less of one. Cadance waited in the living room. She sat on the couch and wondered where exactly on it had Velvet and Shining done it.

Night Light took deep breaths. If this were a movie, he imagined they'd be coming out heavy and misty like jets of fog from his nostrils. This was going to be a fun day. He first had to explain himself to an inquisitive princess, then he was going to see his son, and then he was going to see his wife. And then he was going to have to go back to work in the morning. Fuck him. What he could do to keep himself calm and collected now was to focus on each task in detail. He put the lid and the infuser in the copper tea kettle. Then he put it on the already red-hot stove. It was a nice few minutes worth of peace he would get. Twilight was playing with Moondancer. Yay. As much has he loved his bookhorse and was happy as hell she was an egghead like himself, he didn't know what he'd do if she took like Shiny after their mother, having to explain to his pubescent daughter the current situation was a prospect he found as nice as the idea of getting a deep tongue kiss from a minotaur.

The blue stallion touched the copper gingerly on its fading gleam where the patina was growing a deeper green day by day. The warmth slowly grew and arose to radiate through the metal. It was first cool bordering on cold. Then the first flecks of heat came in, welcome. A properly warm kettle was a good thing. It was a welcome feeling, but more than that, more like a memory, a happy place he could touch and then drink. It was liquid life on a frigid early morning. It was the kiss of his wife as he walked in the door as her arms fells around him. It was finding his paycheck's envelope beneath a pile of bills. It was watching the snow fall outside his bedroom window when he was young and tucked up in his bed. It was the bright smiles of his children. It was the first shot from his rifle at a range session. It was the purr of a friendly cat. It was amusement at his son's face as he, all of nine years old, wanted to be grown up and try black coffee -- not that he knew daddy only took his own coffee weak, double cream, extra sugary -- he'd known at the moment Shiny had drunk it all that maybe he was made of some stern stuff after all. So many implications bound up in this simple drink... Life was so full of simple things that just somehow became needlessly complicated. Some pain kissed his fingers as the metal grew hot. The pot was beginning to rumble. Okay, break over, end of his reverie. It had been nice retreating up his own mind for a second.

Night Light poured out two cups of tea. He then went into the living room and sat on the other wing on the ninety-degree couch with her on his right side. He had gotten some strange vibes from her -- it had not been not unwelcome at all in the least to be shown concern by a family friend, but something about it had been off... Night made a mental note to ask if anything was up with the princess if he had the time and inclination to do so later.

Princess Cadance cast some cooling magic with a slight shimmer of her horn. Night held his cup out at her and she did the same for him. "Thanks, Cadance," he said and took a sip.

"You're welcome."

They just sat together as they drank their steaming cups of tea. The silence could not last. Night broke it. "So, how was Manehattan?"

Cadance sat back, her smile dissipating. "How did you know?" The stallion just briefly produced his phone and looked at her.

"Best peetzer?"

Cadance chuckled, "Didn't have too much, but you bet."

"So, how's Velour doing."

Cadance shook her head. She weakly said, "I guess there's no getting around this..."

"Please tell me he didn't hi-"

"He didn't hire her, if that's what you're asking. One of my ROC mares did."

Night Light clenched his jaw. "Thanks for taking my wife away from me during my very limited time here."

"I'm sorry, Night, I thought you were supposed to be gone for another month or so. When Twilight said she hadn't seen her BBBFF in a while, I got worried. I didn't know you were coming home, or else I would have done it differently." The stallion's tension lessened. "I figured out where he was and went to meet him."

"Isn't that a little too much effort to spend on just some random colt?"

Cadance replied, "Random colt? I'm a family friend, aren't I? And if Twi's worried about her big brother, it's the duty of the greatest foalsitter in the history of foalsitters to sort it out."

The stallion met her eyes. "And conveniently have a few days one on one with him, too!" Night Light laughed. She shrunk away, a nearly imperceptible blush on her face. "So, you brought Velour and Shining together because he wasn't taking her whole gestalt thing too well?"

"He found out, they fought, he ran away. You could call it a love problem; the love between parent and child. He did not react well to finding out about Velour." Cadance cursed herself inside for what she was doing. She tried to tell herself it was for the greater good that she was stretching the truth. She was not technically lying, but close enough for serious discomfort. She had told herself going in that she was not going to disclose anything all by herself; if anyone involved wanted to tell about the incest, they could do so themselves -- it was not her place to make a huge family decision like that. Shining trusted her to not reveal the secret sua sponte. Vel, too.

"Sounds about right. So, have you helped him come to terms with Velour?"

Cadance nodded. "He's okay with her now. He's still got some miles to go with Velvet, however."

He snorted. "I wouldn't blame him -- boy just learned something pretty shocking about his mother."

Cadance took the opportunity to steer the conversation. "Night, I didn't come here to talk Shining with you; you can do that yourself. The reason I came was because your messages made it sound like you were having problems with Velvet."

The pink alicorn watched as Night Light seemed to shrink. He turned inwards and away from her. He hunched up his shoulders and leaned forward, curling around his still piping hot cup of tea. "I'm surprised you don't want to talk to both of us about it."

"I do, I just want to talk to you first, as I've had a hard time getting anything out of her for a long time."

"How did you take finding out about Velour? Doesn't seem in character, does it?"

Cadance tensed. "I can't say I'm her biggest fan. Shining told me, but I'd seen hints every now and then, so it wasn't the biggest surprise."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't want to be too presumptuous and cause trouble on a small hunch. Things seemed to be working out before this whole crisis thing erupted."

"It'd look like that from the outside," said Night Light, "but in actual fact it's been getting colder and colder for years now. It didn't used to be this way."

"What do you think could have caused it?"

"I don't know. Her going through pregnancy twice? Just growing apart? I married young -- nineteen. To be honest, it didn't really start until Twilight got into Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns and we had to make changes to make ends meet without compromising on our standard of living. Two kids and we wanted to give them the best life possible."

Cadance nodded. She beckoned and asked, "What kind of changes?"

"I had to work more," Night answered. "I took some advanced programming classes, switched companies, and got a great job. The catch is how much traveling I need to do. Even with that, versus inflation, costs of living...."

"Is that the origin of Velour?"

"Among other things.... yeah..." He dragged out the fricative like he was rubbing mulch off on a rock.

"You're not inadequate, if that's what you're worried about."

"No, it's not that.” He stopped. Pinching the bridge of his muzzle just below the eyes. He sighs. “It's wanting to feel special again. The last time we talked, just yesterday... Velvet said it was more... Velvet talked about me like I was a dog, goat, or other domestic animal..." Cadance shuffled closer towards him. She said nothing, letting him take deep breaths while he stared down at his tea. "What she said was: I hold down the fort for months at a time without you, and when you get here, I fill your belly and drain your balls.   
That's what makes you happy, right?"

Cadance made a face. "That's terrible, Night, truly. I'm going to need to talk with both you and her."

"Thanks, Cadance."

"No problem, Night."

The stallion drained his tea. He turned to her, his eyes ever so slightly wet. "If it's not too much, can I have a hug?"

Cadance hugged him, holding him close with both arms and her wings. He didn't cry, he was too composed and proud to do that in front of her, in front of anyone. However, Cadance knew that if not for that barrier, he'd be letting loose down her back and shoulders. And so, she did the only thing she could. She held him there for as long as he needed. As the minutes ticked by, she waited. And she waited. And she waited. He didn't need to apologize. At long last, Night Light released her. "Thank you."

"No problem."

"How's my boy doing?"

Cadance answered, "Since you're here long enough, why not find him yourself and have a chat?"

He pulled out his phone and started typing a message. He sent it and put away the phone. "Done. Are you going to help him with his mother?"

"Of course," Cadance said, "Velvet's a stubborn woman, so we're going to need to double team her."

He cracked a thin smile. "If you insist -- that almost sounded sexual."

"Yes, because I'm totes mcscrotes master of boats going to have a threesome with your wife and your son." She saw his lip faintly curl. "Sorry, too far. What I meant to say is I can mediate between the two. If Shining needs help expressing himself, I can assist with that. If she tries any bullshit dodges or to mess with his head or anything, I can call her out on that."

He smiled and nodded. Thanks, Cadance. I'm not sure what a princess of love can do for a boy and his mother."

"It's love, family love. Some of the most important there is." She drank more of her tea. He finished his in a gulp.

"I know, but not what you'd think of what you talk about love at first glance, right? If only there was a princess of friendship or something." His phone went off. "Well, Shining's up to meet me soon, so we're going to have to make this brief."

Cadance asked, "Speaking of princess help, want me to help you talk with her? I told Shining I'd at least offer."

"No thanks, at least not yet. I'd like to try talking to her one on one first, but thanks, Cadance."

"No problem. When were you going to do that?" He glanced at the staircase. "No time like the present?"

"Shit." He hugged the princess once more. "Thanks for help. Wish me luck, I'm going to go talk to her."

She patted him on the back. "Best, Night. Celestia needs me back at the castle, so I gotta go. You know where to reach me if you need me."

"Sounds like a plan." Night Light stood up. "Anyway, good luck tag teaming the bitch." He made a face, his cheeks coloring before he huffed. “I didn’t mean that.”

Cadance nodded. “I know.”

She finished her tea and saw herself out. Night Light followed her, locked the door behind her, and then trudged up the stairs and towards the bedroom. He knocked on the door. No response. He tried the knob. It was not locked. Night Light opened the door of the bedroom. It was dark, too dark for this time of day. He shut the door behind himself and walked in deeper.

He called out, "Honey, you here?" He didn't get any words, but he did notice that it wasn't totally dead silent. As his eyes adjusted, he noticed a lump in the covers. "Velvet, you don't need to hide from me. Come out, I just want to talk."

"Well, maybe I want to sleep."

He sat down on the bed by her feet. "All the better to come out then. You've never been one for sleeping in a burrito."

"Maybe I'm this way now."

He was keeping his anger in check. He got naked and lay atop the covers, facing her. "Is something the matter, Velvet?"

Silence. A long silence. Night Light felt the seconds tick by into minutes. He did not know how long this was going to take, but he had to not rush her. She wasn't shouting at or trying to seduce him right away, a very welcome change, albeit an ominous one. He had only ever seen Twilight Velvet like this only a handful of times before. He know that it meant something big was coming. There was nothing to be done but wait and be there for her. He didn't have much patience or empathy, but he had enough remembered love to let her have this. He didn't even touch her. He just watched her sides rise and fall as she breathed. He still loved her. The mare squirmed a little and regathered the covers around her like a cocoon. She finally said, "I have some things to tell you, Night."

And like that he moved to comfort her. "What kind of things?"

"You wanted to know what was wrong earlier and I wasn't helpful."

Just like that he moved to comfort her. "Velvet, you weren't being bad, I was the one who didn't let you talk."

"We can't be remembering the same conversation. You don't have to comfort me, you know. Ni Ni, how are you feeling?"

Night yawned. Without raising his voice, he said, "Still pissed off at you, but we don't have time for me to just be mad at you, so here we are. What's on your mind? No bullshit, Velvet, I'm not in the mood."

"What do you want to know? I was thinking about a lot of things."

"Velvet," Night growled, "I don't have time for this crap. I have to finish packing, I have to meet Shining, and I need to get to the train station today. I'm in no mood for games."

She was hesitant. "Okay."

"Why did you lie to me about where our son was?"

She refused to talk. “Answer me!” He stomped.

"I had it all under control. I was going to get him by the time you got back, but you messed that all up by coming home early."

"That's not an answer. Why did you lie to me?"

"I didn't want you to worry."

He huffed, "You thought lying to me was better than letting me know he was hundreds of miles away."

"It is if you're going to freak out about it, since you don't seem to think he's a grown stallion who can handle himself!"

Night Light bit, "Your words both times, not mine. Was it because you were embarrassed?"

"No, I knew you'd react badly, and you are."

"I'm reacting to the lies -- I'm gonna meet him later and talk all about Manehattan -- it's the being lied to that's pissing me right the fuck off. I won't talk to you if you won't be honest and stop deflecting. Why did you lie to me?"

"Because I didn't want you to know I'd messed up with him and he knows about Velour." She says simply, defeat in her voice.

Night said, "Well, stuff happens. It was kind of inevitable he'd find out -- it sucks we never figured out a good way to tell him, but he's come home now, and Cadance says he has made his peace with her.

"Velour agrees."

"That's good." He put his hand on what he hoped was her waist. "How did he find out?"

Velvet answered, "I told him when I was drunk."

"Why?"

"Because he'd seen her."

Night Light said, "I guess that would be a good reason to tell him about it. And he took it well?"

The pile of blankets shook its head. "Not the best, but being drunk, too, it got out of hand..."

"That explains it.”

"What's another thing you have to tell me?"

"Well, it's Velour's thing to tell you..." Her voice was hesitant and windy.

"Do you want her to come tell me?" Night did not like this one bit.

"No."

"She's okay; she hasn't been raped or anything, right?" Night asked.

The mass under the blankets seemed to nod. "It's... kinda sorta the opposite thing... Vel has..." She did not finish her statement. Twilight Velvet was quiet. That was never good in this context. And here he went playing the waiting game again. Night Light growled internally, but he checked his frustration with his wife. Wild ideas went through his head, each scarier than the last. Had she been kidnapped? Had someone outed her? Had she appeared in the papers? Was she now embroiled in a major national scandal? Had someone realized who she was in real life? Had someone robbed her? Had she caught something? So many troubles could befall an escort that just even thinking of a few of them was enough to make his head spin and his pulse race. "It was all consensual."

Night Light heaved out mightily, "That's a relief... So what is it?" More silence. Peachy, just oh so perfect and peachy! "Velvet, I need to know. Even if it's bad, I would appreciate being in the know. Not communicating is how we got into this mess to begin with.

"Velour hasn't always been the safest mare of late..."

It took all his presence of mind to not haul Twilight out of the squippers right then by her throat and there and bellow at her at the top of his lungs until she told him exactly what the fuck she meant by that. He snarled, "Please don't tell me you've been taking drugs. Nothing so dangerous and stupid!"

"Not drugs. Dick."

"Fucking customers RAW?"

"Only a few of them -- one's a griffon."

Night growled through grinding teeth, "That's more than the zero we agreed on back when we started this."

"One of them's not even a pony -- he can't infect or impregnate me. He's paying extra for it. Why are you so mad over me finding a way to make some extra bits?"

"How. Long. Has. This. Been. Going. On?"

"I don't fuck very many of them like this."

"How. Long. Has. This. Been. Going. On!?"

"Not long," Velvet answered, "Just a few months."

"And you're telling me now why?"

"Velour insisted; she didn't think we could stay hidden much longer."

Night Light groaned, "Don't tell me, you played dirty and now something's stuck?" He looked down at his own hips.

"No, not that..."

"Well that's a relief. But what if you're just incubating or it's asymptomatic? Anyway -- wait, no, you couldn't've gotten something off a non-pony partner. So other than the griffon you offhandedly mentioned, who's the other one? Velvet, tell me."

She said nothing. "He's clean. I know he is."

"I'm not asking about that."

"Twilight, is there something else you haven't been telling me?" Her fidgeting stopped. Good. It had been aggravating. His head was spinning. He hadn't wanted to think his worst suspicions about her were correct, but here she was, confirming things had not all been on the up and up and she had been keeping secrets from him. He was going to have to put his foot down hard just not quite yet. Get as much out of her as possible first before doing that. "Velvet!"

"Velour threatened to subvert me and tell you herself if I didn't do it myself."

"Shit -- that's only possible if whatever the fuck you're doing is a threat to your core. Come on, Velvet, tell me in full. What is it? If it's that big you have to tell me."

"I've told you enough..."

"Twilight Velvet, for the love of Celestia's radiant cunt lips!"

"Night Light, I love you and I'm sorry, but that's all I can bring myself to say."

The dark blue stallion said nothing. He waited while the pulsing vein of anger in his wrist subsided. With every heartbeat it weakened and cooled. He did not trust himself to speak. Part of him wanted to throw her out of his house right at that very moment. He remembered his argument with her yesterday. Had he really prayed her return just for this? He sucked up his anger and spoke with her in a growl, which while civil, could not be mistaken for any form of friendliness or levity. "I don't know what the fuck is going on, who you've done, or whatever else you might have done, but I'm not going to demand answers from you."

"You aren't?"

"You can tell me if you want -- I have my own theories, but I'm not going to force you."

"Thank you... You don't hate me?"

He answered, "No, Velvet, I don't hate you. I'm mad at you, but I don't hate you."

"That's a relief."

"You're not off the hook. Now, I can't stay here; I've got other things that demand my attention, too, but when I get back in a month, I want to see a clean blood panel from you. And whatever the fuck is going on or not, I want it over and done with for good. If you don't, I will divorce you."

"But that'll hurt the kids."

"Not as much as growing up seeing deception and spite every single day."

The stallion moved to leave. He was just sitting up when a hand grabbed his. "Please stay?" asked the mare's trembling voice.

"I don't have time..." It was a lie and the both of them knew it. He already felt his resistance crumbling.

"If know you don't have all the time in the world, but do you have enough time to remind me that you don't hate me?"

Night Light sighed, "Twilight, I don't hate you. I love you."

"Can you show me?"

She was asking for sex. His dick wasn't saying anything on the matter -- he saw her exposed body and felt no desire. The curve of her hips, the ample bosom, the scar on her abdomen reminding him that she had procreated with him. the promise of pleasure in between her succulent thighs. He felt a paradoxical disgust, a desire to not give himself to her, to not let her feel his touch, and to not give her the satisfaction of releasing his essence within. He imagined some dirty stallion with a stubble and clenched teeth grunting and mouth drooling as he shoved into her, a wicked smile on her face at her secret sin, maybe laughing on the inside at how stupid her poor husband was, his seed flooding the insides reserved for that fool pony who may as well have been a fabrication a thousand miles away, adorning her throat and chest with bites and bruises her ring-bound coward could never give her.

But she'd only spoken about Velour.

And yet something said, and something not said filled him with doubt about it being just Velour and only Velour.

He looked at her again. She was his mare, his wife, his lover, his friend, his companion. She was the mother of his children. She had planted a thousand thousand kisses on his lips. She had laughed long with him. They had shared meals together. They had raised their joined blood together in one house. She had been there for him when he needed her. Her touch made him light up with joy. The promise of delights made him rise with anticipation with a touch, a word, and a swing of her hips as she beckoned him to follow, to come to come. Those breasts he had snuggled against and slept between. Her voice whose shrill cries joined his so many times in bliss.

She was his woman and he could not deny himself to her. His girl was coming plainly to him and hurting. Mad or not, offended or not, he was not going to deny the love of his life the meager comfort he could provide her. This was a moment of reassurance and pleasure to make sure she understood he still loved her, and she hadn't destroyed it all yet.

"Okay. Just let me have a condom."

Velvet didn't question. She understood. She magicked one over to her from the box in the drawer. She turned over to see Night Light sitting with a limp dick. The mare lowered her head and sucked him. He didn't stroke or coo, but she felt him get hard. Her blowjobs really were amazing. The dick began to throb in her mouth as she went from base to tip with steady licks. Her husband let out a few moans unbidden. She touched herself, too, arousing herself. This round wasn't about her pleasure, it was about her wanting to give him something back. Sadly, all she had to offer was her vagina... the same thing she gave her clients, had given prior boyfriends, gave to their son, offered to pink princess...

Thinking about it like that, it really didn't sound so special anymore, more like a sticky version of getting someone a greeting card.

He was hard. She caressed his balls. Had he really gone without relief since she had last drained him perfunctorily before she went to Manehattan?

Twilight Velvet unwrapped the condom, placed it in her mouth, and lowered her head.

Night Light felt the great heat and wetness of his wife's mouth suddenly become muffled. He had seen her touching herself and heard her becoming wet. She lay partially on her side, one leg held high and one laying low. He was going to have sex with her. He stopped for a moment, looking at her in the dim light. Despite everything recently, he hungered for her. He wanted her. And she was making it known that she wanted him too. No matter his anger at her, that feeling, that love for her, it was still there. He straddled her leg and used his hand to guide his erection to her slit. One of her legs rested on his shoulder and he held to it for stability with one hand. He pressed into her. She was tight, the position giving great pressure.

As he slid into her, he took his hand from his dick to her vulva and then found her clit. He was going to make sure she felt his love for her.

He hilted. He could feel her warmth. He hugged her leg to himself and thrusted. He used the leverage to make sure she felt it, too. Her walls clung to him. His fingers flicked at her clit. She shuddered. She didn't meet his eyes, but he could see quite the nice blush beginning to manifest on her cheeks. He did not touch her face or caress her, but rather kept fucking her. He was inspired by the jiggling of her body, her bountiful breasts especially. Even with the implants they still had magnificent motion. How he loved to kiss and lap at them.

She squeaked as he fucked her. He got a good rhythm going with her clit. He rubbed with the pad of his thumb, and when her pants began to lengthen, he would stroke along her labia, then to come back to where she was most sensitive. She was fucking him back, her hips resisting and answered his. He smelled the sweat on her and the aroma of the musk rising from her nethers. She wasn't just giving him pussy to placate him. There was no lube in this, no silicones, no gels, no oils, it was just her wanting to do something for him. She wanted to give him pleasure, she wanted to give herself to him. This was as close to making love rather than simply fucking that they’ve done in a long time.

He watched her fingers curl as she clenched her hands tight and ball up into fists with the sheets trapped within. She was responding to him but tensely. She wanted him, truly wanted to make love to him. But she was struggling with herself. He smiled a bit to himself as he continued, watching that tension slowly drain away as she gave in to her own feelings for him.

Night Light leaned forward. He felt the slowly lessening tension in her thigh, but she was flexible and so yielding. The pressure on his cock was incredible. He took his free hand and clenched her breast. He rubbed the nipple to immediate results. His wife had always loved it when he enjoyed her breasts. He squeezed and felt the soft tissue, the soft fur, the warmth coming from her, and beneath them, the slightly texture change of the implant. At first, she tensed up, then she slowly relaxed into his touch. Quite quickly, she made happy peals at what he was doing, himself never quitting fucking or fingering her.

His dick tingled with electricity. Lust was overpowering his senses. He wanted her still and he could not deny it to himself.

Twilight Velvet was beginning to pant just a little bit. Night Light smiled and pressed his advantage. He was glad she had always been an easy mare to please. She responded readily to him, for he had learned all her ways, wails, and wiles through their two decades of familiarity and intimacy. His own pleasure was building. It would not be hard for him to abandon her pleasure and go for his own climax, and he was tempted to, his anger and her revelations not forgotten. Part of him wanted to deny her release -- let her go find it with her stud. That would have been unkind, he was not an unkind stallion. And he loves this mare he was making love to. There would be time for anger and confrontation later; he wasn't going to let her get away this easily, but one thing at a time.

He hilted hard again and looked down at her as he halted for just a second. He loved this mare. It was going to rip him up inside awfully if he had to leave her.

As if sensing his hesitation, Velvet reached up and put her hand on his, gentle intertwining their fingers. He welcomed the touch and let out a breath as he resumed. She worked her hips, squirming now. She was not going to hold out for too much longer.

That bubble of rage forgotten for the moment, they started truly making love. Her hand squeezed his on her breast and guided him in the intimate motions. He was gentler. He fucked her with less speed, but went deeper, letting her body embrace his. She wriggled and twisted to receive him. He didn't let up on her clit. He watched the now ruby blush on her cheeks suffuse down to her pale throat. Her mouth opened and called his name in between the moans and gasps. She was getting so wet.

She cried out, "Night, please don't stop."

He obliged. "I won't," He said huskily.

She tried to answer back at him, but no words came. She howled and choked. He saw her stomach and hips lurch. His cock was tingling with pleasure from tip to base and his balls felt a kind of tight pressure.

Twilight Velvet lurched and cried out. "Niiiiiiighhhtt!!" She clutched his hand down harder and he worked at the nipple as he lowered his pace. As he hilted, each time she squirmed, shifted, and squealed, her body yielding to his. A shrill cry and he took his hand from her nethers to wrap around her thigh. He pounded her through her orgasm to peals of wordless praise. He was going to make her hang on for dear life.

He was deep and her body was beckoning. His instincts were getting the better of him. He could keep going, drag out her climax, but he was too turned on restrain himself from that. He was going to fill this condom until it overflowed and ripped.

A ripped condom in this woman? His stomach turned.

Night Light hilted with a loud grunt. He released himself inside of her. Sperm flooded from his cock and into the condom. He leaned forward, over her. His lips found her breast and he suckled as he groaned, her mound absorbing his cries of pleasure. White hot lightning of bliss washed over him in rapid pulses as he surged again and again into his wife and she danced her hips back and forth. She patted the back of his head. "Cum for me, my love. Make it swell." He tried to answer, but the release was too intense. He clenched at some part of her and dug in with his fingernails. He raked them down her roughly, taking some dark delight in her hisses. She kissed his forehead as he still pumped into her. Tears welled up in his eyes, some leaking out. he was trusting himself to her again, and she was actually welcoming him again -- not tolerating, but embracing, taking his love and giving him back some of hers. In the swirl of hormones, he forgot his misgivings for several blissful seconds as Twilight's insides caressed and teased his cock for what it could bring forth into them.

His orgasm faded and his cock grew limp. Night stopped clutching his mate and drew out of her, careful to keep the condom on. He tied it up and threw it elsewhere for her to deal with since she was so good at that sort of thing.

He lay down beside her, looking into her eyes. "I love you," he said.

"I know," she answered. They kissed lightly on the lips just once. "That was good, honey."

"You needed me." They held each other. He wrapped his arms around her. She nestled him in between her breasts with her head resting atop his. He laid there, holding on to her. Slowly everything came back to him, why he was angry, why things were in the sorry state they were. He lifted a hand, looking at the wedding band on the third finger of his left hand. He remembered her putting it on him that first time. He slowly sat up, moving off of her. He has to break this mess, end it. Not just for his peace of mind, but for hers as well. He lifted his other hand and brought it to the simple gold band. He slowly drew it off of his finger. He contemplated that simple ring, the symbol of their relationship. Such a simple thing that meant so much, he turned and held it in front of her. "Depending on what you do next, this can be the last time we have sex, and the last day I wear this. It's up to you, you decide." He placed it on her nightstand. "I'm leaving it here as a reminder."

She wilted as her eyes fixated on the small object on the nightstand. "I want you. I love you."

"If that's really how you feel, then make it so. You've shattered my trust in you."

"I'm sorry." She says almost too quietly to hear. Her own ears flicking as she tears her eyes away from the ring and looked up at him.

"Have you reconciled with Shining Armor yet?"

"No," Velvet confessed. She wilted as she saw his ears splayed back, no mistaking his emotion there.

"Do that as soon as possible."

"Why would I need to? He's the one who overreacted; I'm not apologizing." Velvet whined.

He looked her in the eyes and caressed her cheek. "Consider that a third condition of mine." He got out of bed and walked to the door. "I'm gonna shower and go meet him. Your stories better match. I'll see you in a month. Remember, whatever the fuck's going on, finish it. Clean blood panel. No pregnancy.”

“But I can’t be pregnant, the griffon can’t have-”

“I don’t believe you. Raw with clients, plural. It only has to fail once. No baby, no disease, no quarrel with our son. Whether or not we remain together depends on you now, it's your choice."

"I love you, Night."

He stopped, his hand was on the doorknob. He turned back. "I love you too, Velvet." He let go of the doorknob to walk back over to kiss her on the cheek before he finally left the room.

________________________________________

The air was slightly dusty but thrummed with the feeling of discrete electricity. Murky reflections danced in the burnished stainless-steel decor of the diner. The liquor collection stood proudly on the back wall. It wasn't much, in fact it was rather small compared to a real bar or club, not that the patrons seated on stools at the bar cared. A blue stallion sat at the bar, sipping away at an iced tea.

A pony walked into the bar. Tall, white, standing straight up. He spotted the blue stallion and walked up to him with balled hands.

"Dad?"

"Shining!" the blue one cheered, patting the stool beside him. "Take a seat, kiddo." He lifted up a hand to get the barmaid attention. "Hey, a Mareavian for my guy and for me!"

The white one whispered, "Dad, I'll get carded."

The older stallion nudged him in the ribs. "Shut up and you won't. You didn't think your old bronco wouldn't know a spot or two from when he was your age, would he?"

Sure enough, a pair of pale amber beers came their way. "You weren't kidding."

"Why would I lie about important things like beer?" Night Light joked. He picked up his glass and took a long chug. "So, how have you been, boy? Can't say I've heard much from you in months" He looked at his son with concern and cheer.

Shining Armor didn't meet his eyes or his smile. "I can't say it's been the best. I've been working out, hung out with my friends until they got ate up with other things..."

"And the girls? Summertime young mares, Shining, don't tell me a guy your age in your shape isn't drowning on a nightly basis."

The colt took a draught and laughed, "Well, I can't really brag, but yeah..."

"Anything of note?" He saw Shining Armor tense up and return to his beer for a series of great chugs. His beer already was more froth and head around the bottom than a golden pillar. He could spot the blush plainly on the face of the younger male. "Alright then, keep your secrets; how's everything else?"

"It's good," Shining answered, hanging his head, "except for mom. You may have already heard it, but we had a huge fight and I took off for Manehattan following it."

Night Light rubbed his face and groaned, "Fuck, sorry to hear that. The cat's all out of the bag, ain't it?"

"I know about Velour now if that's what you're asking."

It was now Night Light's turn to drink deep. Before he said anything else, he raised his hand and got the bartender's attention, gesturing for two. A pair of new, frothing beers arrived for them. The two men drank. "How are you feeling about it, about her?" His voice was low, anxious even.

"It was a huge shock, you know, finding out that your mother is a mare of the night." He squeezed his glass hard, white knuckling on it.

Night Light patted him on the back, wrinkling the younger male's jacket. "I'm sorry, my boy."

Shining Armor met his eyes and asked, "For what?"

"Your mom and I, we should have told you, maybe not back when it all began, but years ago -- definitely not kept you in the dark until forced to come clean about it all."

Shining Armor stretched and sighed, "Yeaaah, I can't say your gambit of hide it forever exactly paid off in the end. What were you hoping to achieve -- didn't you wonder about what'd happen if I found out?" They both drank deep of their beers.

"Hey, let's see you raise two children and get everything right! Shit... Shining, you're getting to be a man, so I can't hide behind being older than you, or that I'm your father that much longer, especially since I wasn't that much older than you now when you were born. I may be getting old and grouchy, but it's getting ridiculous to think I can bullshit you."

"Mom sure likes them young," Shining remarked darkly, a finger held up off the countertop, lips not quite closed. He found he could not meet Night Light's eyes again for the moment. He swallowed, hunching back over and taking a marked interest in his beer. "What was your plan?"

Night scratched his neck and mane hard. "That's just it, we didn't have a plan. How the hell were we supposed to inform you and little Twi about it?"

"From that point of view it does kinda make sense..."

"You're taking this pretty well; better than I'd've."

"I ran away when I found out, didn't I?" Shining laughed joylessly. "You missed the big freakout, the grand blowout."

"Do you want to talk about that."

Silence. Shining Armor sat still, staring at his beer. He gulped down the remaining half glass and belched, "Nope!" They both laughed and ordered him another beer. "I wish you had told me. How long has Velour been going on?"

The older man answered, "About six years now."

Shining nodded and drank more. Night drank, too. "I see why you didn't tell me back then. Twelve year old me would have not taken it well at all. I would have spoken with you never again, meaning for maybe two weeks if you didn't bribe me with candy or something. Maybe when I was fourteen, fifteen, you would have. Definitely by sixteen. Not telling me until it blew up, not the smartest move."

Night growled over his foaming beer, "Real talk from one man to another, what the hell was I supposed to say? Yo mama's a whore and daddy's raking in jizz bucks? For argument's sake, imagine having to tell Twilight about Velour now."

Shining growled back, his aggression emerging, "I would like to have known! I am your grown son; I deserve a little bit of trust, a little bit of faith!"

"But how you handled being told about it shows why we didn't tell you... even if, yeah, we did keep a secret from you strictly speaking longer than we needed to. What would you have done in our position?"

"I-“ He falters, his ears flicking from splayed back in anger, to the sides in consternation. He huffed. “I don't know. Maybe just said mom had a job and let us find out what it really was when we were old enough rather than hiding it the whole time."

"And kept that sword of Damocles over our heads for years and years? We didn't want to keep secrets, we didn't want this blowup, but here we are."

Shining looked down. "Forget I said anything. Maybe I'm pissed off at learning a secret was kept right behind my back for years. Sorry. Would you at least explain why mom started being Velour?"

Night relaxed with a prolonged sip. "We started out with Velour, because your mother noticed other guys kept hitting on her, and with your sister just starting out at Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. You know it's a private school." Shining nodded in agreement. "We wanted to provide the best for you and her, still do, but things just weren't going to work out unless we didn't let her go, or we took a collective major hit to our standing of living."

"Like how major?"

"Like moving to Rockhoof Heights." Shining Armor cringed. "Yeah, not pleasant, but if it meant you kids still got the best education Canterlot had to offer, we would have done it -- would have needed to find a new place to put you, got you a pupil placement or some tutors and a cram school, but if it had to be done, it would have been done. Velvet becoming Velour spared us that . She never wanted to hurt you, she did it because it was really the only way to get the tens of thousands of bits we needed. Between you, little Twi, two college funds, rent hikes, retirements to save for, and now a big money private school, we didn't have too much to spare."

"You could have told me to get a job when I got old enough. I'd have helped if only I knew."

Night’s muzzle twisted into a wry grin. "I know, Shiny, we did think about it, but she wanted you to enjoy your foalhood, and I agreed, although the bits would have been nice. We didn't want to trouble you with grown up things like taxes, budgets and so on. I had to grow up working a movie theater my teen years, plus odd jobs to help out my family. I didn't want you to have to deal with all that shit if you didn't need to."

"Thanks, dad. You really do love me."

His father hugged him with just one arm. "Of course, Shiny."

"Are you really happy with, well, you know, mom's professional promiscuity."

Night Light drank again. He called for more beer before returning his attention to his son. "Not really. I'm not much the jealous type, but your mother has always been a wild mustang, if you catch my drift. We've gone back and forth on being open, swinging, closed... Do you know why I've never worried about her running off?"

"Why? I'd think a lady fucking around ought to scare her guy."

"Because it was... it was... it was... fairly done -- informed and with permisssion. She had to be safe and return to my bed. I've dallied a bit, too, and I've played by the same rules..." Night Light took a special interest in his beer, hurling the dregs of his dying glass into the new and chugging almost a whole pint down in a flash.

Shining leaned over. He kept his voice low. "Dad, is there something you're not telling me? You said there was stuff to discuss about mom -- is this what you meant?"

Night Light said very slowly, "Well, I found out that your mother hasn't always followed the ground rules we established when she started being Velour."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't confirm it, but I have some suspicions. We've discussed it; can't get a straight answer one way or the other -- lots and lots of omissions and particular wordings." Shining could barely speak. He too drank like mad and signaled for more beer.

"Mom's cheating on you?"

"I just said I think so, but I can't confirm it."

Shining chugged. "You're not going to get a divorce, are you?"

Night Light paused. "I don't know. I'm a merciful man, maybe too merciful, Shining. I told her your mother she doesn't have to confirm anything one way or another, but when I get back from my trip in thirty-two days, she better have ended anything that may or may not be going on."

"I could tell you something..." Shining squeaked, not meeting his father's eyes.

Night Light gave him a look. "Perhaps you could. You've met Velour, haven't you?"

"Yeah. How could I not have, especially when Cadance dragged her up to Manehattan to help us sort things our?"

Night laughed, "Well, yeah, but how did she conduct herself around you? Was she helpful?" There was something in his voice. Shining Armor could not quite figure it out.

"She was professional, fun, and one hell of a flirt. I think she did it to the best of her ability. She didn't advertise who she was. She didn't get us mugged or anything. Well, she didn't stink, like from her armpits or anything -- I mean. she acted upbeat, fun, flirtatious; I guess like an ideal girlfriend or something, not that I'd know what a girlfriend is supposed to be like." He caught his father's stare. "Is there something you're not telling me?" Night shoved his beer aside. Shining responded with a quick swig before doing the same. His eyes darted to the door. He gulped.

"I was hoping you'd tell me this more organically, but..." Shining Armor braced for the worst. Just one quick accusation and he'd spill. If this wasn't it, any second now, his father was going to ask him about the incest, and he'd have no choice but to reveal the secret. "I mean the big problem is I learned Velvet's been fucking some customers without a condom! Did she say anything about that?"

"No." Shining Armor shook his head. "Shit, Dad, I didn't know Velour was being stupid with customers like that." He damned himself for lying in that moment. Not so much lying as misleading omission -- he doubted Night would care about it being the gestalt or the core.

Night paused. His tone was low, serious. "By chance has anypony been coming around to the house? Any strange tutors or gardeners, plumbers, electricians... closet "repair ponies"? Has she been entertaining any neighbors a lot or anything?"

"No... Nopony weird coming around the old homestead."

Night nodded. "I feel like maybe she's being more honest than I'm giving credit for since you're vouching for her, and Twilight didn't have anything to say about visitors. But for Velour to act up, it'd have to be somebody the real Velvet has strong feelings for..."

"Dad?"

"BRRUUUURRURURURRRUUUUUUUUPPPP!" Night belched like a canon. "Nah, you couldn't be..." His eyes traced over Shining Armor. "Bah, forget it, I'm just drunk and talking crazy. If she won't say, that's that." He patted his son on the back heartily.

Shining hugged him. "Don't worry about it, Dad." He fought with his own emotions, part of him wanting to confess. But he holds on, by a fingernail.

"I won't." They held each other. "Cadance is going to help you talk to your mother, is she?"

The younger white stallion nodded. "She will," Shining Armor answered in the affirmative. "She helped with me and Velour; she's good at helping people with love."

"It's her job. I'm going to need her in the middle of our three-way conversation -- Mom can be... difficult to talk to when she doesn't want to cooperate."

"Yeah, that's why you're gonna double team her with Cadance, right?"

"Who said anything about a double team?"

"She did," Night laughed, noticing Shining's small blush.

Shining said slowly, "I guess that's one way to phrase what we'll be doing..."

"If you incest."

"Celestia, you’re such a pungeon master."

"Only the finest for my boy," Night Light said, "Shit, I'm hungry."

"Me too."

"Know what I'm thinking?" That devilish fire was back in Night Light's eye again, the previous steel all but forgotten.

"The clam shack by the metro?"

The older stallion laughed, "Bingo. Let's go." Like that, he jumped off his barstool and strode towards the exit. Shiny watched him leave, taking several seconds to compute this and grab his wallet. He finished both their beers and dropped what he hoped was enough bits on the counter.

He caught up to his dad. "Sounds great, just on one condition."

"What's that?"

"You cover it."

Night Light looked back at the already closed door of the establishment behind them. "Well, shit."

"Don't worry; I got it."

His dad gave him a happy look. "Shiny, do me a favor."

"What, Dad?"

"Never change. And buck up, my boy, you're looking sorry as hell over nothing."


	14. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shining and Cadance confront Velvet. Tempers and passions flare.

Shining Armor stared at his bedroom wall. He was gritting his teeth like a madmare, pressing them bone on bone fit to splinter and crack the pearly whites down to the roots. He bounced a tennis ball against the wall, throwing it out to catch it again on the rebound.

The dull thudding provided a monotonous rhythm combined with a pounding dull impatience, a sense of a purgatory that just simply would not end. It was like being incarcerated in a prison with nothing to do to pass the time but listen to the heavy jackbooted march of the jailer outside stepping up and down the cell block ad infinitum.

He had been home for a whole week now. One week, seven days and six nights, nearing night seven in just a matter of a few short hours. The sunlight was dying on his wall. He had been tracking its progress with his eyes, inexorably and bit by bit. If he made himself sit still and put his brain into a sort of bored trance, he could almost watch it like a very slow motion movie. It reminded him of being a colt again on boring family vacations to the cabin. In between when he'd had enough of swimming, or been too sunburned to continue, and when mom had finished making dinner, there was seldom much to do but watch the sun crawl across the sky, taunting him with the length of the summertime days. If boring lessons at school sucked, tracking the sun by its rays then had been torture.

He again felt like that useless, bored colt.

Worse than that now -- he was a useless bored stallion with his family on the ropes and an incessant ticking clock that counted down day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute, second by second, to when it would be too late for him to do what he needed, and then it all would have been simply in vain.

A week had gone by at home. A week of half-formed words and futile attempts at normalcy interspersed with even sadder attempts at having a real conversation with his mother, each time ending in someone deflecting from what needed to be said. She went about the house, alternating her costume between less revealing then normal, but then she would sometimes have the excuse it was just too hot and then slink around in not much more than a sport's bra and a pair of shorts. What the hell was going on with her reaction?

He didn't know what dad had spoken about with her, but she seemed to be trying and dreading to get his attention as he was trying and dreading to get hers. Sometimes he'd try to wave her down, other times he'd try to help her in the kitchen. Sometimes she'd pretend he didn't exist, other time she would randomly ask him about the most trite crap like the weather or what to make Twilight for her lunches. Either way, regardless, not much quality communication was getting done.

Was it her or was it him? He didn't know. He knew that it didn't matter. He had to break the stalemate.

Sleep wasn't too much relief, either. He was beset with confused dreams featuring his mother, Velour, Cadance, and other mares he'd been intimate with, Sugar Swirl quite prominently. They always wanted to tell him something, or he was carrying some great secret he needed to inform them about but couldn't. More often than not they would turn sexual and he would awaken irritated, frustrated, and nursing a rock hard erection. Sex dreams involving his mom did not work with his guilt and desire to avoid sleeping with her again, especially when they felt so good and he awoke horny as hell with thoughts of her flashing through his mind, when he didn't just awaken with a softening dick and a sticky patch demanding he take a shower and do some laundry that failed to do away with his sense of disgust at whom he’d climaxed to yet again.

They had been avoiding the couch and the TV. The memories of scent and touch jumped to his mind -- faint sweat, the dry and plum notes of the malbec wine, and maybe just the tiniest hint of pine scent on the glasses from Velvet's choice of dish detergent. The feel of breasts, the kiss of his mother against him, then the heat that suffused him during their coupling. Some fear, curiosity, longing, lust, and finally shame. That hadn’t been there before. He didn’t like it; it wasn’t his fault! He couldn't get her to talk to him for longer than absolutely necessary, and when he had tried to get a conversation going, she'd done her level best to stop it from getting serious.

The remainder of the day went by in a similarly shitty way. He went out for fast food -- he had taken to avoiding her at meals so as to try to keep Twiley from noticing too much, lingered longer than needed to on their wifi, and came home. Shining Armor needed some light exercise and so went on a jog. He kept his eyes open for Cadance, anxiously awaiting her. They'd made their plan a week ago. He needed to contact her, tell her that him trying to get Velvet to talk on his own wasn't quite working out. Still, he couldn't say it wasn't out of character for either of him.

Things had been normal. No, not normal, more like painfully abnormally normal.

That night, while Shining was attempting to fall asleep, he swore he heard some light footsteps outside his door. Feeling irritable, he growled, "Go to bed, Twilight, don't you have that day science camp in the morning?"

Shining heard the creak of his door. He saw one eye reflect in the dim light. "I put her to bed already," Velvet said as she slithered into the room wearing just a robe. She sat on the edge of the bed and reclined in his direction, brushing his arm with her hand. He didn't recoil away from her.

Shining immediately tensed up. "Hi, mom, what are you doing here?"

"I just came to check on my favorite boy," she said, "we haven't talked much in... Celestia..."

"Yeah, things have been awkward."

Velvet nodded. "More than awkward."

"What happened to us, Mom?"

The older mare turned around to face her son and lay down on her side, facing him. "Well, you got older and you changed. Went from a cute little puppy into a mutt, you did. Sure are son of one." She booped him on the nose playfully.

Shining chuckled briefly and smiled back at her. "Speaking of dogs, why didn't you tell me about Velour earlier?"

"So your father has had that talk with you," Velvet said slowly with the spice of alcohol on her breath, "I want to know what did he say?"

Shining touched his mother and held her forearm limply. "He said you two have had a semi open marriage, and Velour more or less came out of that plus you realizing just what you had and what that could do for Twiley and I."

"Yeah, pretty much it."

"But why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, you blew up when I did."

Shining hissed, "You get me drunk, pry into my affairs, invade my privacy, and then use that to seduce me twice, turning on me afterwards! How was I supposed to take that well? You didn't even need to name yourself as Velour, just say you're in the business or something."

"Shining, I was drunk and shocked, too." Her robe was coming open, revealing feminine flesh within. Was this on purpose?

"But you didn't need to fuck me over it, let alone again."

Velvet crept closer and put her hand on his lower thigh. "Baby, baby, that's not important -- back to our last topic: does Night know about... us?"

Shining scratched his head, slowly answering, "He does know about... well... that I have met Velour?"

"Meaning???"

"Just met during the Manehattan trip."

"So about our liasons...?"

"I couldn't bring myself to tell him, but he came so close."

"Did you tell him anything revealing?"

Shining said, "No, but it was so close. For a moment I thought he'd figured it out, and had he asked, I would have said that..."

"But you didn't, did you you?" She snapped, her breast flashing free from the robe.

No. He had that look when he figures out something, but then he laughed and said that it was completely impossible, and he was being crazy."

"That was a gift from heaven."

"I nearly threw it away; I almost couldn't bear to see him let the cruelest revelation of his life just be ignored like that."

Velvet's hand rose up his leg, prickling with pointed nails. "I think it's good. He's a good man, you know it would have fucked him up badly to actually have understood what we're doing. He's been close. I had a similar moment earlier that day. He told me he doesn't know if he can trust me, but whatever it is, he'll just ignore it if it's over with by the time he gets back."

"You think he knows, mom?" Shining was looking at her chest. That hormonal male part of him was starting to prevail against his upper brain.

The mare sighed, "Cynically, how could he not? But realistically, maybe he doesn't -- surmising your wife and son are fucking is one hell of a conclusion to take a flying leap to with no information other than her gestalt hasn't been wholly observant of the rules and her core has been getting distant.

"If he asked me, he didn't know, and I didn't tell him, so it's like before he did."

Twilight Velvet leaned forward. A second tit escaped her robe. "Thank you, Shining, for keeping my secret." This was too much like his dreams.

"I'm not sure I feel right about it, or if it even matters..."

The mare cupped his face in his hands and said, "We're safe, we're free, we just can't get caught again. I'm a lonely mare, Shining. You're a stallion. You're around."

The youth's relaxation turned into a sour smirk. "So we have a full fledged affair after all this, after we get a second chance?"

Twilight Velvet leaned forward and kissed him. She was sweet, and he tasted delicate lips and tongue with a bouquet of fruit wines with maybe something a little stronger. Memories of their earlier encounters and his dates with Velour shot through his head at her familiar touch. A hand of his clasped at her breast and he felt her squirm to his touch. He needed her. His fingers shook. "Not quite, Shiny. Just while he's gone. And he's gone most of the time. Don't you want to make me happy? Doesn't the son want to love his mother? Didn’t I make you feel good? Doesn’t the fact it’s forbidden make it all the hotter?"

With that, she kissed him again. The taste of alcohol was unmistakable. Shining kissed her back, longing coming unbidden. So long since she'd last talked to him without ice or venom, and her embrace was once of comfort for as long as he could remember. His instincts were being stoked and he knew he was getting very hard. This temptation was too sweet to resist -- Velour, but real and free, all for him.

He clasped at her tit and his finger found her nipple. She gave a low mewl and he lowered his head to kiss the soft nub. A primal urge to suckle at her took over, and she cradled his head, cooing softly at him as he relaxed in this intimate embrace. Her one hand caressed and petted his mane while her other hand went lower, finding purchase on his penis. A few tugs and he was hard.

"Lower," she whispered into his ear, "I want you to enjoy me." Shining obeyed, dragging his free hand down to her pussy and brushing it. Wet!

"Mom... I..." Then he remembered Cadance's and Velour's warnings. Velvet would try to steer towards sex to get out of a confrontation. He couldn't give in, he couldn't face her. Not here, not alone. "I love y-"

"I love you too, Shining!" She kissed him again.

He pushed off the kiss. "Mom, I love you, but, no, we can't do this."

She looked like a kicked kitten. "But, Shining, please, I need you. I love you."

Shining Armor stared at her, the dearest mare in his world, nude in his bed, aroused, begging him to come and require his desires between her thighs for both of them. They had tonight, they had tomorrow, they had time -- their secret, just the two of them. Their old love could be expressed in a new way.

It was his to claim. All he had to do was say yes.

"I love you too, Mom."

"So come to bed, Honey."

It was his to refuse. All he had to do was say no.

"But I can't be your stallion; I'm your colt. This is for the best." He practically leapt into his clothes.

“Shiny, please! Don’t leave me like this!” Velvet cried and clung to him.

“Let me go,” he said.

She wrapped her arms around him. “Don’t do this to me. I need you, I want you, I’m a lonely mare, please spend the night with me?”

Anger suddenly jumped throughout Shining. This was her manipulating again, trying to reach past his wishes and make him do what he knew was wrong. There was sex on offer, and a promise of guilt to come when he’d succumbed and vented his lust to her insides. He wanted it, he wanted her. He was hard, he was aroused, but he could control himself. And he wasn’t going to fall for her false promises a third time. He shoved her off, watching her stumble backwards, scandalized and recoiling. “Let me the fuck go!”

And so he flew from the house. Shining Armor ran. He ran for more than a mile before he stopped at an abandoned basketball court he knew his mom could not track him too unless she miraculously was a lot fitter than she looked. He took out his phone and dialed Cadance. "Cadance, it's Shining. Can you put me up with something tonight, and let's confront her tomorrow."

"Can do to both. Tell you what, The Chocolate Dream down near Somnambula Place is still open. I'll meet you there and let's talk."

"Thanks, Cadance, you're a lifesaver."

________________________________________

Princess Cadance followed the stallion up the step to the stoop of the unremarkable townhome. She swallowed, watching what he might do next. The white stallion ahead of her withdrew a key from his pants and opened the door. She followed him into the house, not feeling too unlike Ngolatane must have when on operation. She appeared serene on the outside.

She had last been just a week ago. It had an interim week spent watching her phone and email, watching the seconds tick by slowly as dandelion seeds on the wind. Day after day had passed without word and without action. It was finally happening. Those words stolen in the smokey restaurant back in Manehattan were finally going to pay their dividends. Cadance wanted to settle this fast and hard, she had wanted to invite the subject of the drama for some one on one time, but that had been vetoed by someone much closer to them. So here she was, playing second fiddle to a rank amateur -- an adorable, sexy, goodhearted amateur, but someone she had to fight her protective instincts to allow to make his own path.

As she followed him in, she saw the definition of his back muscles and shoulder blades. Her heart fluttered, but she steadied herself. The memory of their embrace on the train, her staring down at his hardening physique while astride him, kissing away while she pawed him and he felt her thighs and chest, washed over her. She could see the Royal Guard duty shirt on him already, and imagine him flexing under it. A fine masculine body was being carved out.

Shit was going to get dicey, but she had no choice nor reason but to believe in Shining Armor right now.

Having now crossed the threshold, Cadance shut the door behind them. She saw the kitchen where she'd had tea with Night Light a week ago. She followed Shining along the passageway and out of the atrium. The unicorn kicked off his shoes. She kept on her low heels, even though they were crunching her toes like styrofoam and the heel straps were going to make her raw. Shining was dressed for just another ordinary day. A pang of envy hit her that he didn't have to get all dolled up every time he stuck his head out of his bedroom. She wished for a hoodie and some shorts, not this just north of business casual ensemble with a collar of pearls on her neck and her hair in a gilded clip.

"Hello," said a feminine voice from the living area.

"Hi, Mom," said Shining.

Then Cadance entered the room. "Good day, Twilight Velvet." A lump caught in her throat.

The robed mare recumbent on the couch with a box of malbec wine practically dropped the whole thing. "Your Majesty!" Twilight quaked, "What is the reason for your visit?" The older mare's tongue lingered just a moment too long on her lips, keeping them open more than necessary, eye contact first given to her son, but then languished on her deliberately, lids slightly dangled. Velvet's face immediately sank into a sour scowl. "Yes, your majesty, I presume you got dressed up nice and dropped in unannounced so you could raid my fridge for sale bin white bread and Brand X apple juice. Isn't that the royal fashion these days?"

"I meant this isn't a state function..."

Velvet ignored this to levitate up her box of wine to take a deep suck. Without even asking, she then magically grabbed glasses for the two others from the kitchen. Shining said, "Wow, Mom, that's some magic."

"Let's see you sustain a coherent gestalt for six years and not learn a thing or two," the older mare laughed. The laughter died and she turned an eye back towards Cadance again. "So, Princess, who put you up to this? The boy, the husband, or was it even my daughter? Are you looking to reveal me?" Velvet winked. Cadance made herself avoid direct eye contact and scowl. She remembered Velour's words about how Velvet would try to save herself if she sensed trouble.

Cadance clicked her tongue. "That's bold of you to assume, but those guesses were not bad. This plan comes from none other than Velour."

"V-Velour? My own gestalt turned against me?" Velvet gasped, slinking back into the cushions.

Shining interrupted, "It was Cadance who arranged the big booking for Manehattan, Mom."

Twilight Velvet sighed, "Oh, shit." Then she filled their glasses to the brim with wine. These were not small glasses but big ones, easily capable of holding two units at a time when filled properly. "That means you got a huge amount of time with Velour, didn't you?" Nods from both of the others told the mare everything she needed to know. "I knew it was too good to be true, and too convenient. You, Shining, run out on me first, then I suddenly get a message from some strange Zebra about a booking in another city -- she's got no references and is willing to pay the premium for an immediate start. It's not like the Guard gets paid that well." She put her face in her hands, moaning, "How fucking stupid could I have been to fall for such an obvious trap? Of course... Well, what's the damage? What are you going to do to me? Make me confess my crimes here now as myself so you can run to Night Light and tell him what he may have already guessed? Grind me into dust with what a bad mare I've been? Drag the story about me fucking this boy here in exquisite detail so you get a juicy tale to add to your resume, Cad? Looking to get friendly with some tabloids by finding a debauched yarn for them?"

Shining and Cadance swapped looks. "Shining, what is she doing?"

"She's bluffing. She didn't tell dad, nor did I -- he may have guessed it, but definitely didn't show it if he did."

Cadance nodded and turned back to the smirking Twilight. "We're not here for that, Missus Velvet."

Shining took a drink. Velvet said, "Really now? What are you here for, then? Maybe you were hoping to see what these clothes look like on the floor? I'll show you if you ask, but I doubt you will. So are you here to tell me what I can and can't do with my body and other consenting adults? Here to tell me it's wrong to want a little action when you're lonely? You're too late for that, too, since this faggot ran away from my offered paradise last night." She made aggressive eye contact with Cadance, staring at her like a snarling dog.

The princess flipped her hair back over her shoulder. "If you are done ranting, I shall tell you what we are here for."

"Goody. Can't wait. So, what'll it be? Condemnation? Interrogation? Punishment? Tell me what poison I get to drink and I'll chug it."

"I'm not here to tell you anything."

Shining spoke up again. "I'm here, Mom, and I want answers. Not sex, not manipulation, answers."

Velvet took a long chug of malbec wine and laughed, "I do not answer to you, Shining Armor! Who birthed you? Who taught you to tie your shoes? Who took you to peewee soccer games? Who helped you with algebra? Who talked you up about the Guard? Who took your virginity? Me, all me."

"If that's how you feel, then surely it can't hurt to enlighten me just a little bit more about everything."

"I don't need to explain myself to you, boy."

"Man now," Shining refuted. "I had that talk with dad when he was last here. He believes I'm too old to be given that 'too young' crap. Which am I: a boy too young to know the truth, or a man old enough to take to bed?"

Velvet groaned, "Fine, if you in-fucking-sist. So, what the fuck is it?"

Shining Amor sat straight up. He looked his mother right in the eye and said, "First, this isn't about beating you down or trying to make you admit guilt to anything."

That broke the mare's sneer. Her eyebrows raised as she took a measured sip of her red wine. "Well then, what is this about?"

"It's about trying to go forward and get some closure. Look, we can't live this forever. I won't be your bed toy whenever you're feeling lonely, and even if I did, it's only a matter of time until Twiley or Dad either really put two and two together or just catch us in the act. You're not stupid, you know I'm right."

Velvet yawned and growled, "Of course you are. Your father had a talk with me about this before he went back on his business trip. I told him Velour has been doing some unprotected screwing. He told me that he'll let it go and never bring it up again provided I wrap whatever it is up by the time he gets back in about a month."

"I see... We're on the same page, at least that's what seems to be the case. But why did you try to seduce me last night? If you meant to end it with me, why did you try to have sex with me, promising that we could keep it going for years as our little secret?" Cadance gave a sharp blink and opened her mouth, but instead dug the heel of her shoe into the carpet, otherwise saying nothing. She shot a sideways glance at the young man next to her, encouraging him with a smile.

Velvet answered with the first hint of flattened ears, "I was drunk and it seemed a good idea at the time. Your father isn't around nearly enough to satisfy me. I am a mare with needs. He knows this. If those needs aren't going to be met by him, well then, I'll just have to find some other kind of way of getting them met, aren't I? He knows this."

"That makes sense," the younger male conceded over the top of his glass after he took another mouthful of wine, "I, however, don't get a few things."

"What is there not to get? I was drunk and horny. I sought you out. You hurt me by rejecting me. I still crave that orgasm you denied me."

Shining stretched. "You have hands if you want an orgasm on demand -- I am your son. Why would you seek the guy you were told to end it with? And you don't think it's hurtful to be pulled closer by you when you need something sated and then kicked away after?"

"Mind it, Shiny," Cadance warned.

"But lastly, here's the one I really want an answer to: I learned from dad last week that you and him have had a somewhat open marriage for a long time; if only you'd ask he would have let you get yourself a boy toy. But instead of that, you're choosing me to warm your bed. Why?"

"I was horny and you were convenient. But most of all was that I knew you weren't going to reject me. I was testing you that first time we did it. I wanted to see if you would take me as a male takes a female. And so you did. When you did it again the day after, I knew you really were mine, alcohol or no."

"You gave me wine that second time."

"Only a little bit compared to the night before -- you were more than sober enough to think it through."

"The real question is why did you choose me?"

Velvet answered, "Having a hot young stud close at hand at home to fuck whenever I choose is a great idea, isn't it? You're a sex-having person -- wouldn't it be great if you could have some at home right when you want it rather than having to go through the pain of organizing a date and paying for it? You know I'm right."

"It does sound good, Mom, but that's beside the point." His drier tone was mirrored by Cadance's crossed legs and slow shake of her head. "Why me of everyone out there? The mere existence of Velour proves a point: you are smoking hot. Okay, maybe not that hot, but you're damn good looking; enough to make a nice little career selling access to your body by the hour. Sex isn't a problem for you, is it? Just pure sex?"

"Eeeyeahhhh, not really..." Velvet creaked, awkwardly scratching at an itch on her leg and breaking eye contact for the first time without reestablishing that same wild stare.

"Mom, if you can be honest with me, when was the last time you lacked for loving."

"I'm lacking for some right now."

"This isn't going to work if you don't bear with me. If you want, the door's right over there and I can be out through it before you can even drain what's left of your glass. Do you want that?"

"No."

"Me neither. So I would really fucking appreciate it if working with you wasn't like trying to cuddle a griffon! Now, Mom, you pull more crap again and I'm out of here."

"I thought you weren't here to punish me."

"I'm not here to punish you, I'm here to reconcile with you."

"Sure doesn't feel like it."

"Just because he's not being vengeful doesn't mean it'll be pleasant," Cadance warned.

Velvet shook her head. "Seems all the same from where I'm sitting." She took another drink.

Shining sipped his again. He inquired, "So, Mom, if you would please stop avoiding the question, when was the last time you really lacked for loving? Could not get it. Any. At all."

Twilight Velvet scratched her chin for several seconds. All eyes were on her. Eventually, she answered, "Back in early high school. I was a sort of ugly duckling. But then in early 10th grade it was like overnight I got hit hard with the sexy hammer. The girl who seemed to actively repulse boys by existing the last day of school the year before got looks the first day of class, and by the time the Fall Formal came around, I was doing things, fun and sexy things. Kissing, exchanging gropes, blowing guys in the bathrooms, flashing my tits when teachers weren't looking. I was hot all of a sudden and it was like a drug. I found myself getting invited to hang out, go to parties, go on dates, and more."

"And how did that all turn out?"

"Fun. Lots of fun. The gravy train didn't really end until a certain blue colt put a ring on me, but even then, we had our swings, together and separately. Your father, as absentee as he may be now, kept me very happy and occupied back then, him being a teenage hornball and me a free young woman... What really did it was having you and Twilight. I got pregnant, I swelled, and I stayed swollen. I lost the weight mostly, but my bones shifted. Oh well, curvier figure and more prominent breasts -- a bit of tum doesn't detract from those. More than that, I was busy around the clock taking care of a little pony. Then I got pregnant again. Your sister wasn't so easy. I had to have her cut out of me. The weight went just not so completely, but the operation...." Velvet pulled down her capris to show a white scar across her hips' bridge. "That one left a mark."

"But it's not so bad -- you look great for a mother of two, Missus Velvet."

"It hasn't always been this pretty. It's taken a few surgeries to reduce it and the discoloration. For the first time in forever, I wasn't hot anymore. Your father told me I was still sexy, sexier than ever, but I knew the truth -- some of my swing buddies went away, and it was harder to find replacements. Back in the day, if I wanted, I could have started an orgy by just going to a club and saying I was open to anyone who wanted to run a train on me. Anyway, with a new baby and a young colt, I didn't have time anymore, and the sex life I used to enjoy really suffered. In a way it hasn't really recovered."

Shining looked at her with his chin in his hand. "Would you say the attention of those people, sexual, made you happy?"

"Yes."

"Made you feel valuable, worthwhile?"

"Yes."

"And with your primary lover absent most of the time, what you really want isn't orgasms but something psychological?"

"Yes."

"Mom, could it be that you're using sex to cope with being lonely?"

"Yes."

"And you chose me because you trust me, like me, have me nearby, and know I'll never abandon you?"

"Yes."

Shining blew a strand of hair out of his eyes. "But was that really it?"

There was a long pause. Twilight Velvet drew out a long cord of wine into her glass, and from it she drank deeply. The mare burped, the blackish rouge staining her lips and face. " Yeah... yeah, that's about it..."

Cadance interrupted. "Are you sure, Twilight, are you really sure? There's no shame in having a confession to make."

"Shush, I'm sure as shit!" Wine jostled and spilled.

Shining matched her by taking a deep but measured drink of his own. Cadance made the motion of gulping, but in reality only downed enough to wet her tongue. He took his cue from the alicorn making a little motion with her fingers, a sign to lead Velvet without demanding. Velvet refilled his wine as he responded, "But why would you feel such a need to hide this? Dad was accepting of you wanting to play around."

"Let's see you have children of your own and ask, 'Cadance, honey, is it okay if I fuck our daughter?' See how that flies."

"Mom," he said tensely.

"Okay okay I'm sorry, but mark my words, kiddo, I'll bet you a year of free Velour you're ending up with her."

Cadance looked strangely, but not displeased. "Please, Velvet, stay on topic. I do like Shining, but you are the meat of the matter right now."

"I said I'm sorry." The silver mare giggled tipsily. "It's just true. Trust me. When part of your mind is coded to spot what someone will like, you notice these things." She refilled her glass and began drinking earnestly again. "I swear this is the last one."

Shining asked his mother, "I know you had some mixed feelings about having sex with me. What were they, exactly?"

"I got really horny and it was like cold water, you know, coming down from that, you cumming in my pussy... Coming back down to reality was a shock to my system so soon after learning you'd been seeing Velour."

"How did you feel about me seeing Velour?"

Velvet took another mouthful of malbec. It took her a while to answer. Nobody was going to rush her. Her ears finally fell completely flat. "Like shocked, surprised. I mean, what's a handsome stallion like you paying for sex, y'know?" She was slurring. "I never set out to fuck you, Shining. You caught me in the middle of another one of Night Light's long absences. Part of me was disgusted, but part of me was really turned on in a way that hasn't happened in a long time. You see, sex is large in the brain, and for all the good times quick fucks that I've swinged into, I know they're a fantasy and not real. I know afterwards I'll go back to being Twilight and they'll go back to being whomever. But with you, Shi, I know I'll still be special to you the morning after. I won't stop being pretty the second they start softening. I won't fade into memory with the dawn's early light. You'll still be someone I care about, and you'll be someone who cares about me, too."

"So you tried to fuck me out of loneliness?"

"A little bit, but I wanted to see if you'd do it. Velour's gotten all the praise for years, I wanted to see if someone who'd had her would still want Velvet."

"But what if I hadn't? What then, Mom?"

"Well, I would not have fucked you."

"Are you sure about that? Given your behavior, Mom, it seems out of character for you to just pass up an opportunity for sex just like that."

"I know I wouldn't've, Shiny, I'm a whore and a liar and manipulator and a seductress and a slut a terrible mother, but I'm no rapist."

"I see. Sorry I doubted you."

Cadance said, "If I may ask, you said you're a liar. Have you lied to us about anything in this conversation?"

"No." She drank more. They all sipped.

"Then can you please return to Shining's original line of questioning?"

"Which was?"

"Why it excited you so to have sex with him."

"Ah, yes, Princess." Twilight Velvet shifted her attention back around to her son. "As I was saying, I'm drawn to you. I like you and you're sexy -- any mare, alicorn, pegasus, earth, or even alicorn, would find you hard to resist." He tugged at his collar at the remark.

"Thanks, Mom, but what does that have to do with it if it was for emotional not physical reasons?"

Twilight Velvet tried to open her mouth to say something, but Cadance interrupted the drunk mare with a wave of the hand. "Velvet, you just said you were being truthful, but here you are now contradicting yourself. We can't help you if you're going to lie for us. Why tell us things that are untrue? Why deliberately seek repeat encounters with Shining among others if you just wanted to see if you still had it? You got what you said you wanted, but you didn't stop. Why? What's really the matter?"

She was suddenly hard again. "You sound just like my therapist." Both Cadance and Shining saw it -- the slump in her chin, the sagging shoulders, the back of wit beyond a weak quip, how she didn't meet their eyes."

"Mom, you need to tell us the truth." Shining's voice was hard and cold. Cadance gave him a worried look, but he wasn't looking at her anymore. He had made a fist.

"We can't help you if we don't."

"You said there was a lot at stake!" Shining growled, "For once, cut the fucking shit, Twilight! You can't do this to anyone and everyone who loves you, wants to know you, wants to help you. How are we supposed to fix this mess if you won't be honest with anyone, not even yourself!?"

"Shining..." Cadance cautioned, pointing at the mare who was gulping down the malbec -- first she killed the glass, then she clutched at and suckled from the box and then cradled it.

He ignored her. "You've put all involved through hell! You call yourself a mother, but there you go, running off everywhere to fuck around like a teen girl! You toy with us. You've lied to me. You've lied to Cadance. You've lied to little Twiley. You've lied to yourself. You've lied to Dad! When is it going to stop? Now? Later? Tomorrow? After Dad divorces you? After none of us ever want to talk to you again? When your secret is revealed before everyone? Wake the fuck up! This isn't some game you can play to work us into bed where it'll go away when we forget it between your thighs, this is the last chance you have to stop before it's too late! Do you understand me!? The fantasy is over! There's no more time to stall for, no more excuses to use, and no more gestalts to retreat into! Wake the fuck up and face the fucking music! Put down your drink, straighten up, and talk to us, to me, like you actually give a fuck! Like you're not the only one who matters!"

"Shining!" Cadance yelled, "That is enough! Let her answer!"

Silence came for several agonizing seconds. The box of wine fell to the floor with only a light thud. "I'm sorry," he said, his tone taught and fists clenched.

"Don't say it to me -- to her." Cadance pointed with both arms at the shrunken mare.

Shining Armor's eyes grew wide. He whispered, "Mom... I'm..." She said nothing back.

Tears formed at the mare's eyes. "You're right, Shining. I've been lying to everyone -- not you, not your father, not my therapist, but everyone, even myself. I've been using sex for years as a crutch to deal with feeling lonely and ugly. It's like I've been trying to reclaim the lost glory days when I was young and beautiful... when life was simpler and ponies actively sought my company. Now look at me, I'm a day drunk middle aged mare laying on a couch detailing how my life started sucking so bad I thought it would be a great idea to fuck my son! Forty something years alive, half of that married, nearly all of that with children of my own, and I couldn't get it through my fat fucking head that what I really wanted was some fucking company to make me feel worthwhile and not just mindless sex! And now a princess knows what I'm doing, my own husband suspects the worst possible thing, and my own son hates me for what I've done to him!"

Cadance looked on with concern, swirling her wine.

“I don't hate you, Mom, I love you."

"Are you sure about that? I've done some pretty bad stuff to you. Cadance looked on . Shining, however, stood up and marched over to the crying woman. He looked down at her, rage coming back over his face. He pondered the mare. He watched as she cried, his expression unreadable. She flung herself around his knees and hugged him close in supplication. "Please, don't leave me, don't hate me," she pleaded.

She was pathetic, so pathetic, so contemptible. The very thought of showing her his pity turned his stomach. She subjected him to all that, and he was going to just let it slide? He made a fist.

The young man grabbed her cheek and firmly guided her gaze up to his. He didn't meet it. He turned to the other woman, whispering, "Cadance, what do I do?"

"That's up to you. She is at your mercy," she darted back under her breath too quietly for the wailing mare to hear.

Shining Armor looked down again at the mare. He drew her chin up again, gently this time. She was clinging fast to him as if she would drown if she let go. At long last he knelt down and hugged her. "I love you, Mom, I always will." Tears leaked from his eyes, too. He hugged her hard while she heaved and clung to his shoulders, tears flowing freely, freer than the wine she had downed in glass after glass.

"Shi-ning, I'm so so-so-sor-ry, I never m-meant for-for-for-for any of this t-to happen!" Velvet sobbed and heaved as she hurled her arms around his shoulders and neck. He winced in pain and patted her back, rubbing little circles around it. It was not crying, more like an ugly sobbing, complete with spit and snot. The younger cradled the older, the son comforting his mother while she comforted him, too.

"It's okay, Mom, I'm here."

And so he was. He held her close and let her hold him. She cried, she groaned, she wept. Her voice eventually grew hoarse with sobs as remorse racked her body. And through it all he comforted her, whispering reassurances and nothings into her flattened ears, and wiping the streamings of tears from her face. They rocked together, she holding on with force to dig into him. She snorted in between sobs and a great glob of snot coated his back. Shining didn't mind. He finally had his mom back. She finally was no longer Velour nor the seductress, but instead his mother, and he just wanted her with him. And so, though he did it quietly, he clung and rocked to her, too, letting flow discrete tears down her back, too. No more games, no more lies, no more feints and rebukes.

Cadance could only watch as the mare on the couch wept and hugged the kneeling stallion still on the floor. She let loose a great sigh of relief as Shining chose to embrace Velvet when he was within his rights to let her have it. He had her dead to rights and wouldn't've stopped him had he really wanted to lay into the mare. That wasn't the princessly thing to do, but she'd had just about enough of her shit and thought an asskicking was well in order. Instead, her own heart melted a little as her crush had gotten down on his knees and welcomed back his wayward mother. He hugged her tenderly, letting her ugly cry all over him while he said nothing, just hugged her and let her get it all out of her system. Pushed beyond the edge of reason and still he chose forgiveness over vengeance. He had made the choice; all there was for her to do now was sit and wait as she sipped at her wine. She could never forgive herself for intruding on a moment like this.

This guy... Oh, Princess Celestia, this guy...

Handsome, humble, funny, kind, patient, and just with the right amount of steel but tempered by mercy -- the kind to engender and return affection; the type to give love and hope a fighting chance.

Someday, she was going to stand beside him in a white dress. She swore it. She refilled her glass and sipped from it, watching Shining and Velvet reconcile, feeling deep satisfaction in her chest. She had done it. It had been dicey, risky, and for a moment she really thought Shining was going to answer with wrath, but he had done so much better than that.

And so Cadance waited for the pair to calm down in each others' arms. It was not until many long minutes and the shifting of the light through the window that at last they did.

"You made a mess on me," Shining laughed.

"I-I'm sorry," said Velvet, "I'll get that for you." And so she did, shakily but firmly. She washed down her son's shoulders and backs and he relaxed into her touch.

"Thank you, Mom."

"You're welcome, Honey."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Cadance said, "Awww, that's sweet." She smiled as Velvet wiped down her ton's back, clearing it from all the gunk.

Shining in turn took the cloth. "Let me get that, Mom."

He wiped her down, slowly drawing gentle circles on her back. Velvet kept silent as her son made her clean once more. While he did it, she discretely levitated the wine box back to herself and took one last draught from the nozzle. The mare swayed, drunk as she was, having been chugging fit to incapacitate a minotaur.

Shining Armor stroked her mane gingerly, pulling it back somewhat orderly into the lilac orchid and white strands it usually rested in. The mare offered no resistance but instead hummed to herself with a kind of curious purring inflection. By the time Shiny finished helping Vel, she looked much better, albeit noticeably drunk.

"You two work well together," she said dreamily as she sat up next to Shining on the couch and leaned on him for support.

"Of course we'd really try hard," Shining deflected, "you're important."

Velvet slur chuckled, "No no no, not like that, like what I got with Night."

Cadance leaned forward. She motioned at Shining to inquire further. "What do you mean, Mom?"

"Well, you two haven't talked too much before these episodes, and here you are playing off each other, helping each other out. You make a good team and you're comfortable with each other. It's like you’re lovers. Perhaps you are, aren't you?"

Shining blushed. "N-no! We aren't anything like that."

"We aren't togeth-"

A hacking cough swept the room. "Hyyeeeyeeaaahah! Hahaaa haaaahhhh! I'm just fucking with you two. I had a hunch, but thought this'd be way more fun than just asking if you were dating."

"Very funny, Mom."

Twilight Velvet sat up and backed away so she could sorta see both younger ponies at once. She put on her best serious face, not a bad effort for someone with eyes red from crying and also visibly intoxicated. "Are you two serious that you aren't together?"

"We aren't," said Shining.

Velvet said, "Well, that's too bad. You really are good together, a perfect fit." She got awkward fiddling and a blush from Cadance, a leery look from Shiny. "How old are you and her?"

He gave her a look. "Eighteen."

"Twenty-two."

Shining turned to Cadance. "I thought you were younger."

"I was until recently."

"Annnnywaaay!" Velvet slapped the arm of the sofa. "Eighteen and twenty-two years old each, new adults, fit naturally and get along pretty good all things considered. You really should make some moves on each other; it's obvious as shit you two really like each other."

Cadance said, "That's funny, Velour said the same thing."

"Velour did? Well... I can't say I'm surprised. What else happened? What exactly did she say?"

Cadance blushed, fiddling with her mane. She couldn't meet anyone's eyes as she said this, even making a point to not face her body towards Shining. "She said Shining's mine to lose, so I should claim him if I want him." She omitted the part where Velour explicitly named herself as competition.

Twilight Velvet asked her son, "And did Cadance ever make a move on you?"

He chuckled nervously, "Yeah, actually... On the train ride back things got kinda, errr, ummm... hot and heavy." Cadance made a nervous chuckle in agreement.

"So, di-"

"We stopped," Shining said.

"Why?"

"I stopped it, Missus Velvet," Cadance said, "because we can't be together as things are. I'm a princess and he's just a regular stallion. I need to remain single for the sake of marrying for the realm."

Velvet raised an eyebrow at Shining. "And I guess I can't really get involved because I'll soon be gone for most of the time for months to years."

Twilight Velvet clapped her hands together and laughed, "You two are acting like you're talking marriage when you're just as the start. You two don't need anything serious or exclusive, just have fun like the overgrown teenagers you are."

"But I can't just sleep around carelessly," Cadance protested.

"I didn't say you guys had to fuck, either. Look, all I'm saying is you two have some real good chemistry together -- you're attracted as fuck, and you have some time now. What does or doesn't happen does or doesn't happen. Cady, before you have to go back to being a princess, Shiny, before you have to put your butt in a uniform, just take a bit of time. But what do I know? I'm just drunk and definitely won't hear anything all passed out here on the couch while you two were upstairs in some bedroom..." And with that, Twilight Velvet dramatically yawned and flopped over into a swoon with her eyes shut and her body still except her chest.

The two young ones looked at each other.

"That was weird," said Cadance.

A nod. "Weird as fuck." He cleaned the scene of the glasses and the wine, drinking down the remainders himself and put away the heavily drained box of wine back into the corner of the pantry behind the big jar of ground coffee. He took a few minutes to hand wash the glasses of the red liquid before placing them into the dishwasher. Suddenly, he felt a warm hand gently clasp his shoulder. He turned. "Cadance?"

"She's right, you know... I really do like you and we've spent a good amount of time together to realize both of us have some feelings. And... I don't know how much we'll be able to see each other again after all this. I'm going to be put to work again and Celestia's going to keep a much tighter leash on me, and you're about to enlist, so..."

He nodded. "Upstairs?"

She put her hand in his and he led the way to his bedroom, shutting the door behind them.

The two sat on the bed, doing nothing.

They just looked at each other wordlessly for a great long while as they each struggled to find the words. The alicorn's thighs were pressed together inside their knee-length skirt and she propped herself up straight with arms at her sides. Shining, however, saw sagging ever so slightly, seeming to have found something intensely interesting in the pattern of his fingernails. He sighed and looked up at Cadance. His eyes met hers, then they drifted apart. The fabrics rustled as the mare rocked back and forth gently. The unicorn ran his hand gingerly along the new creases in the comforter, letting his fingers explore the cotton. Cadance stretched out, lifting her arms up. He got a view of her lithe body and remembered seeing her in her swimsuit and then feeling her on the train. With shyness remembered, he looked down and away. Cadance could tell he was looking at her. She felt awkward, practically put on the spot as if placed onto a stage and painted vibrant white with spotlights. She had to make herself talk. If only he would talk first. Shining struggled to find his tongue. If only Cadance would just talk first so they could get past this.

Seconds ticked by for who knew how long.

"Uhhh, welcome to my bedroom," Shining said.

Cadance took a deliberate look around as if appraising the posters, nick-nacks and decor. "It's uh, very homely."

"I got my own room when I was five. I used to sleep with my parents."

"Some things never change."

They broke eye contact as Shining groaned up at the air. "You got that right. They aren't relevant to this, are they?"

Cadance spaced her legs and turned to face him with her body. "Depends. Your parents aren't secretly psychos who want to destroy all alicorns and establish ethnostates like in the Wandering Times, are they?"

Shining laughed, "Do you even have to ask?"

She brushed hair behind her ear, flickering, "Alone in a room with a strange man, a girl can never be too careful..." She leaned back and pushed out her chest. The young boy's eyes immediately tracked to it.

"Especially one who fancies himself a warrior or a ROC or whatever."

"Yeah."

He kicked off his socks. "Who knows? The lady may need protection, even when in an intimate, vulnerable state in the middle of the night with nobody else to hear..."

She reclined facing him and he mirrored. "Her brave guard captain, showing heroism befitting that title, selflessly hurls himself upon her until the furor dies down."

"And he... gives his princess just what she needs... his shaft and spear at her service…" Shining put a hand on her waist. She didn't stop him. They looked into each other's eyes, doubt absent in neither. "Cadance, are you sure you want to do this?"

She said, "I do, but it's kinda unsure. I'm attracted as hell to you and I like you a lot. Each passing time you rise to the occasion makes me like you more. I wanna fuck you..."

"But you what?"

"I just can't sleep around, Shiny. Can you imagine what might happen if word reaches anypony else that the new guard shooting up the ranks of the Royal Operations Concern is fucking one of the princesses he's assigned to defend and already had that kind of history with her before even joining?"

"No?"

Cadance explained, "Regardless of how liberated the mares of our country are, being a princess means I have rules to follow. One of those is a purity contract. Some of the foreign nations we must deal with have peculiar ideas about what is and isn't right for a woman to do with her body, or what conditions need to be met for someone to be considered an acceptable bride. There aren't that many alicorns."

Shining ventured, "So you're saying that... with Celestia more or less married to the state til the end of time, and Luna gone but with descendants, you need to be the national showhorse?"

"You're catching onto this politics thing after all. Pretty much. It's not just foreigners, either. We're supposed to be very prim and proper -- nobody wants to imagine seeing a princess disheveled, sweaty, surrounded by guys, black tears streaming out of her eyes, and covered in cum on the floor of a seedy hotel room. But even more important than that, the risk of a bastard is too high. All it takes is one wayward royal demanding their right to the throne to plunge the country into civil war."

The white stallion inhaled deeply and caressed her side. She played with his hair. "So you need to be careful who you do and make sure you don't get pregnant."  
"Or sick; same idea applies."

"I see why you're so hesitant even though you want to, Cadance," Shining sighed as he moved in for a kiss. She pecked him on the lips. They kissed again.

"And what about you? For all you know, this could be the first and last time we ever have sex."

"I know," he said, "I know we won't be able to have private moments like this again for years."

Cadance nodded. "Mhhhm. And how long are you willing to wait for me? Six months, a year, two years, eight years, longer? At all?"

"I don't know. I guess if ROC doesn't work out I'll have no choice but to pursue other mares."

"That's fair. We know each other, but we don't know know each other, if you get what I mean. I'm not your wife or anything -- I can't ask you to wait for me, especially if you want to share love in the meantime with others. You're young, fun, and attractive. Don't spend a thousand nights alone nursing a dream and an erection over me. That applies even if you do end up in my detail."

"Cadance, are you trying to imply something?"

"I'm trying to say, Shining, that if we do this, it's our secret and it may never happen again, even if we want it more than anything else."

"I understand that. Say..."

"What is it?" Cadance looked at him, her top two dress buttons undone.

"If you knew this was where we were going to end up, why didn't you just take your chance on the train?"

Cadance answered, "I didn't know then. I also wanted to make certain I was sure about you. I have to say with how you handled your mom just now, I'm impressed. If you’d gotten violent or refused to forgive, I’d understand; I wouldn’t have stopped you. But you exceeded all expectations; even I was feeling less than merciful by the time she started sobbing. I think there's a good chance that just maybe in the future we can work this out for real."

"I was just trying to do the right thing," he said bashfully, playing it off with a small chuckle.

“I know that's what you were trying to do, but you really made a class act out of it. I wouldn't have been far less forgiving; I would have done nothing if you wanted to punish her. This was truly your choice to make, and you did the best thing of all. Do you know how many ponies have your sort of character? Precious few. She really hurt you and abused your trust and relationship. And yet you forgave her without even a single shout, without violence, without conditions."

"Weeellllllllll, I still kinda got some misgivings, but I couldn't be that mean to her -- she's my mom and my family's counting on me to patch it up with her."

"That they are. What kind of misgivings?"

The stallion refused to meet her eyes again. "I kinda have a bit of a complex now. It may be just a fetish from seeing Velour and her, it may be something more major. With the exception of Sugar Swirl, not a single person I've been with has been my age; they've all been older."

"I see... So you may need another session with the three of us?"

"I think so."

"Have you told her that you are still snarled up over her?"

"Not quite. I sorta alluded to it the night I met with you after she tried to have sex with me here..." Shining's voice fell off and drifted away.

Cadance nuzzled closer and held his hand. "Are you still attracted to her?"

"Yeah. I can't fully help it. She's the default template I have when I think about a mare in that way. And there's stuff I still gotta get out."

"So it's a given you still have feelings for her?"

He lifted a finger and smiled ruefully. "Confusing feelings, thank you very much. She's my mom and I love her, but there's a little more in there."

"Can you describe it?"

He huffed, "Well, there's some fear, some longing, and more than a little desire. I'm not weird, am I? Am I normal?"

Cadance laughed reassuringly, "No no, Shining Armor, you're more than normal enough, all things considered. Apart from running away to drown yourself in alcohol and rental pussy, you're handing this quite well. You went from hiding away to confiding in me to confronting Velour to confronting Velvet. You'll manage. Do you still want my help?"

"For hashing things out with Mom more? Maybe. I'll let you know."

"Alright. Just let me know if you need help or anything. Fixing love problems is what I do."

"I will." Shining pulled her waist closer to his. Their hips and thighs made contact as he pushed his upper leg between hers. she wiggled to accept him with a faint giggle. They were silent again, enjoying just being with each other. The discomfort was gone and they were snuggling unashamedly. Shining Armor had to break the silence.

Shining realized all of a sudden the position he was in. His hand in hers, the other cupping her ass, his leg between her thighs. She was close enough to kiss again, eyes sparkling at him. She vibrant vermillion of her lipstick and her grip on him were sending signals to his brain. "What now?"

They were silent and still again. She ran fingers up his chest and grabbed his collar.

Shining lunged at her!

Cadance kissed him with tongue. He stroked hers with his, letting her invader get a good petting before she withdrew it. As she did so, he cradled her head to trap her in the embrace. She gave a squeal of delight and used her much longer legs to wrestle him atop her.

There wasn't much they could do. Restraint came away like before as they made out like teenagers. The pink mare kept her legs wrapped around her prize toy. She shoved his face into her caged breasts. It took a mere mewl when he touched them for him to get the message and he toyed with them, one in each hand. He squeezed and pulled, massaging the oblong masses to get a guttural purring emanating from her chest even through the fabric. He undid her buttons and yanked them free of the cups. They spilled out invitingly. "Holy shit," he whispered to himself. He was molesting a goddess and she wanted him to.

Her sweat's smell intoxicated him. He licked and suckled while she stroked his hair and guided his head. His dick strained against his pants, eager to be released. He rubbed the hardon against her leg and she snickered, patting him affectionately. There was light from over his head and next thing he knew, his lower half was nude. Something amorphous coiled and stroked up and down his cock. He looked up to see Cadance grinning at him. He rose again to kiss he deeply and she stroked his length in rhythm with the kiss. He groaned a bit in pleasure as he was sensitive. With both his hands he held down her shoulders and used magic to unbutton the rest of her outfit. Then he opened it up.

The sight took his breath away. He reeled back into a kneel and gaped.

There she was before him, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, the alicorn, the princess, the seven foot tall ethereal beauty, the national hero, his sister's foalsitter, and the mare he was dirtying with his unworthy hands.

"Ca-Cadance... I..."

So fucking beautiful. A slight blush, pert nipples, sweating and panting from their play. He didn't deserve this. He wasn't worthy. Quite the opposite. He was unworthy. To even contemplate taking this beautiful creature from heaven, entering into her body, and then polluting her insides with his crude essence... it was blasphemy.

"Shiny, you okay?" Her pink eyes looked up at him with kindness.

"I... uh... I... You're just too fucking beautiful... Is this really okay... A guy like me... Someone like you?"

Cadance giggled as she finished getting naked. She spread her legs to reveal her pussy. "Of course it is. I love just like any other woman."

He turned away from her, clutching nervously over his penis to hide it. "But you're just so amazing... I'm just a boring unicorn. I don't have a big dick, muscles, a lot of money, or anything."

Cadance winced in annoyance. Then she remembered Velour's words about Shining's history with girls. She resolved to not argue, just act. She was not going to waste maybe the only time she would ever get to have sex with him on being his goddamn therapist while he threw himself a fucking pity party at her feet! Fuck the hell no! "Shiny, relax. I've already decided I want you. And you want me, too, don't you?" He nodded. She enveloped him in her magic field. "Then let's just have fun together. You're man enough for me and that's what counts." Before he could offer any objection, she kissed him deeply and took his prick in her hand. She rubbed it and murmurred into her ear, "You have a nice cock. Mind if I taste it?"

"You'll do that?"

"And so much more."

"Cadance, would you please suck my dick?" The mare giggled and sat up with him across her lap. He latched onto a breast while she pumped her hand on his dick. Pleasure started building in his cock. It felt so good. She had this twist to her motion that made his head spin as she flourished it while finishing each stroke up. "Oh, wow, that's good.

Cadance continued for many more seconds. "Glad you like it. Now, where was I about sucking your dick again?"

"Not doing it fast enough," he said at her with a grin. His hand patted the back of her head. The mare got on her knees beside him and lowered his face over his cock. She at first licked at it, gently around the head, and then from bottom to top. She even got him on the balls and kissed them with the gentlest of lip smacks. Then, with a flip of her glorious mane over her shoulder, she lowered her lips of the head and took him down to the base. She hummed and he shuddered. "Oooh, wow, Cadance...!"

Cadance said nothing but started sucking his cock with increasing intensity. The stallion hissed at the pleasure from the princess's electric tongue and strong suction. She blew him nice and wet with some attention to the balls. She would take him to the base and hum, then she'd slowly draw back up and lick feverishly as she did it. And when she paused around his tip or popped off for air, she lit her horn and provided further stimulation.

The pressure was mounting in his dick. Not one to idly sit back and let a girl suck his dick freely, he propped himself up on an elbow and pet her mane, whispering lusty obscenities into her ear. He told her how good it felt, how he didn't want her to stop, and how she was proving herself as the princess of love indeed. He then reclined and caressed her mane with one hand while the other played with her tits. Their dangling made them appear even larger and more perfect than they already were. She had a body built for bedrooms. She squealed discretely with delight as he played with her. He tried to take his hand down her back and rub her pussy. The closest he got was her tight little ass, and so he smacked it as he hissed, "Faster."

Cadance obliged. She had him aroused and playful. Thus far he was a damn good partner -- willing to cooperate with her, and also willing to give her chances to work with him to make it more fun. If he wanted to arouse her into sucking his soul out like a demon, so be it. She wiggled her hips and made eye contact with him. His eyes were rolling back into his skull. He groped her and made her feel appreciated. As it got ever more intense, he started to thrust up into her mouth. She tasted some traces of fluids. He was getting rock hard.

Shining teased and taunted the mare with the face wrapped around his dick. He was in heaven and didn't care what happened so long as she didn't stop. He noticed her liking his teasing and clasped at her firm butt. He began fucking her in the face as orange flashes of pleasure permeated his body. It felt so good fucking this beauty in the face. And she was taking every inch of his dick and loving it. He could watch her kneel over him and tend to his body all day.

Alas, he couldn't.

The pleasure passed orange, then shot right up to yellow and was nearing white. His cock felt like it was going to explode. He couldn't keep himself quiet. "Don't stop. Don't stop. Don't stop. Don't stop. Please don't." It happened before he knew it. "Oh, shit. Cadance!" Shining moaned, his spine buckling. He clung to her shoulders "Ooohhh, shiiiiiit!" Pleasure jumped all over his cock and he felt himself twitching down there. Cadance didn't stop, rather going faster than ever, humming to encourage him along. It felt amazing, and partway through, that tension left him. He wasn't polluting her, he was giving her what she wanted. Him. This mare wanted him. And he could not deny her. He spilled his seed in bliss as she took him, welcoming his release.

When he died down, Cadance popped off his dick with a smack. "Thanks for the meal," she teased, showing her mouth empty of jizz. "Some goddess am I?"

"Holy shit," Shining wheezed, wiping sweat from his brow. Wow." Cadance cuddled beside him and waited for his wits to return. "That was amazing. How can I get you back for that?"

The princess got a glimmer in her eye. She rubbed his chest as she intoned in an oily voice, "Well, if you're hungry, how would you like to return the favor?"

"Gladly. Just tell me what you want me to do; I've done this before but didn't get much guidance -- I'll listen."

"Good. That'll get you a long way." She kissed him on the lips and they made out again. She pulled him on top of her again. They kissed fiercely. She felt his lips against hers and relished the simple masculinity of a guy awash in nothing more than testosterone. They dueled with tongues until she whispered, "Lower." Like that, she guided him to her breasts. He played and kissed them. He took a nipple into his mouth and suckled it hard. Much less coy than before, he lay into her with hands and mouth at once. While he suckled voraciously on one with his hand holding it in place, his other hand went to play with the free breast. He made her squeal as his tongue traced and flicked across her nipple with an electric tingle. He rolled the nub in between his fingertips, sometimes pinching, sometimes pressing, but never leaving it alone. Velour had taught him how to drive a girl wild using nothing more than her chest, and Shining Armor was content to do so -- he could eat up a mare's chest all day long. He delighted in Cadance's chest -- smaller than any he'd ever had before, but not stingy and certainly not flat. Best of all, not lacking in sensitivity. She cooed out his name and clasped his shoulders. He felt her squirm under him and a scent wafted up. His instincts told him that was a very good thing. With another hiss, Cadance instructed him to go lower.

He kissed Cadance inch by inch as he descended her glorious, taught, toned body. Her ribs were like from an anatomy model. her stomach was sculped as if from living, breathing marble. As he kissed down to her hips, the mare giggled and wriggled. The smell strengthened. Soon, Shining was lavishing pecks and hickeys over her pubis, just above her pussy. He drew back and looked down. Her pussy was simply perfect. It was pink, a bit puffy, and the labia were ever so slightly spread and engorged with a thin sheen of juice to them. It was the pinkest perfectest pinkest puffy pony princess pussy he had ever seen. And it would have been a lie to say it wasn't at least a little intimidating. He knew his anatomy -- clit was sensitive, labia less so, don't focus overwhelmingly on any one thing.

Shiny stared at it for several long seconds while Cadance lay back and looked at the ceiling, offering herself to him with an arched back. "Don't be afraid," she teased.

Part of the young man wanted to hang back, but after the blowjob he'd just received and with the most beautifully perfect body lying open for him to do with as he pleased, he could not say no to the opportunity. And so he lowered his head between her thighs. He aligned his face with the inner lips and puckered. Contact. Some smell, a bit slimy, but not too bad. He gave an exploratory lick. Cadance made a mewl that sounded happy. He gave it another. Pussy juice had some smell, but no real flavor besides lightly salty with odor. He could deal with this. He licked up her pussy from bottom to top and over her clit.

She definitely reacted to that with a small twitch. "That's good. Keep doing that, don't forget to experiment. Go ahead, kiss my clit." He saw the little nub. Feeling adventurous, he puckered and wrapped his lips around it, giving just a little suction like he was going to make out with it. "Good boy. More." He obliged her. Soon, he was passionately making out with Cadance's slit, lapping up her juices and listening to her cries become ever louder as her body shuffled around him. Her legs squirmed and she gripped the sheets. "Oh, Shining, yes!" Cadance encouraged.

She was exaggerating just a little to encourage him. A bit of theater now to teach him the rewards of bowing his head for a mare. It was dramatic, but she wanted to give him the same encouragement he'd offered while she'd been sucking him. His technique wasn't great, but he was enthusiastic and responding to instruction. The mare's toes curled.

Shiny's face was slick with juices, but he didn't care. He was in heaven going to town on the alicorn. He could not get enough of her squeals and moans as he played with her every which way. He inserted his fingers into her, fucking her with his hand while his mouth was preoccupied with that nub higher up. He kissed and licked at it. The moans from Cadance grew louder, her squirming stronger. The effect was dazzling; he was playing with a mare who wanted him for real and it was amazing. Her legs crossed around his back, holding him there. Very well, he wasn't going to let up anyway! With long, steady licks, he felt the princess get wetter and hotter. He felt the heat radiating from her pussy. He longed to plunge into her, take her for his own. He was growing hard again. He searched out with his magic, and from one of his draws, he drew out a condom and placed it behind him on the bed.

Cadance was losing control. This guy was just too much, felt too good. She twisted her fingers in his hair, crying out not quite silently. She squirmed and writhed, proffering her hips to him to eat all he could. She was helpless before his intimate kiss. Something like a flame was roaring in her body, growing hotter and hotter, brighter and brighter. With ever nibble and kiss on her clit, she drew closer. Her abs began to clench. She felt a wooshing sensation almost like falling and the blush on her face burned like embers. She shut her eyes and moaned long and loud as she shoved his face into her cunt. "Shiny! OH, yes, please please please please please!" He obliged, churning her insides with his fingers while kissing passionately at her clit. The pleasure reached a peak.

The dam broke and she screamed. It was a pure, high peal of bliss. Her legs crossed and held him there, her clit mashed and licked in his lips. Colors swam before her eyes and she fought to breathe, panting raggedly as moans flew from her wide open mouth. He'd gotten a grasp on her clit and wouldn't let go. Time and again blinding, nearly agonzing flashes of pleasure struck her like lightning. It was like being bombarded by the sea in a furious gale. her lungs emptied and she yelled her loudest in carnal ecstasy. Her body shook and writhed, muscles contracting, heart pounding with the orgasm. She could barely hang on for dear life.

It grew too intense. Her storming mind latched onto him, she willed some power out.

"Arh, shit, Cadance, what the hell!?"

"S-Sorry!" Cadance blurted, it felt too good and I kinda lashed out.

"A push on my head would have been enough." He forgot his anger and wiped his face. "Anyway, how was that?"

She answered as he snuggled alongside, "Amaaaziiiinnng!" Her body still quaked and he saw her flat abs contracting.

"Th-Thanks. I didn't know if I could do it, good, I mean..."

She kissed him. "You need practice, but no mare's going to turn down all the head she can get. Just don't suck and press quite so hard on the clit -- it's a sensitive little thing and it gets to be a bit much."

"Okay, note made." With that he kissed her. She kissed him back. Her hand went low.

She smiled as her fingers wrapped around something hard. "Ready to go again." She could barely speak steadily.

"Is it okay? Is it allowed?"

"Who cares? I want it, you? That is if you'll have me?" She shifted, he was now between her spread legs, knees high. "Whaddaya say, wanna pound this princess's pussy?"

Shining laughed, "You're just too much." Then he grew serious. "You really want me to, Cadance? Is it really okay for just a normal guy to do it with you?"

She huffed, "I said it once, Shining Armor, you are a goddamn moron! I'm waiting for you here, pussy spread, legs wide, for you to fuck me silly! I really like you, you really like me, stick your dick in my pussy. And don’t you dare fucking stop until you lose control and spill your cum deep within me and black out in pleasure!" With that, he grinned. Reaching back, he grabbed the condom and opened it.

"Let's do it. But first..."

"Smart," agreed Cadance as she watched him stretch the laytex sleeve over his once again hard meat. She touched herself. She was surprised the furniture wasn't floating. He was going to do her, right? He wasn't going to spurt premature or wimp out, was he? She prayed not.

He knelt between her thighs. "Cadance... You're just so beautiful." His gaze met hers. She tried to say something funny, something seductive back to him, but it died in her throat. His expression was partially reverent but also unreadable. It made her heart wobble.

"Shining," she said, his tip brushing her lips. He was poised to enter her. She reached out for his hand. He took it and intertwined his fingers with her. He rubbed on her entrance. She shuddered in anticipation and pleasure as it skirted past the hole and rubbed across her still sensitive throbbing clit.

The stallion hesitated. So much tension, a mare so beautiful, sweet, kind, devilish, ingenious, and even a little bit nutso. A princess and an alicorn, a being so beautiful he fully expected to awaken rudely and frustrated any second now. And here he was about to feel her from the inside. He was so lucky. She was holding his hand, giving her nod, letting him know it really wasn't a dream and she really did want him. The first and maybe only time they would ever have sex, near certainly the only time he would gaze upon this wonderous sight. His body ached, his cock hard and balls still swollen. Even through the condom, he could feel her heat and wet.

"Okay, Cadance..."

"Shining..." She reached up to caress his cheek and chest, and then down to guide him into her. He leaned forwards, feeling some resistance that passed immediately. He leaned on his hands on either side of her, still holding hers. His tip passed the outer and then inner labia. Hot. He moved forwards and he slid in all the way to the hilt, filling her with a jolt of slick pleasure. "Oh my."

"Wow..." He looked down. There he was, himself all the way inside this most amazing mare.

"Do me good. Don't stop."

The youth obeyed his partner, moving in and out of her. Her pussy was hot and drenched. It felt amazing. Her body was like heaven, running over him with soft electricity. He shuddered in pleasure. He saw her arch her back, offering her body to him. And as the instinct within him told him to do, he took her. He settled into a rhythm, his body finding just the right pace and angle to fuck his mate.

She gave herself to him. Any lingering reservations were wiped from his mind as she locked her long legs behind him and pushed him back inside.

He moved faster. Cadance bucked her hips back at him, challenging him to fuck her just as hard. Her squeals excited him, and as he hilted in her, she would moan and stretch in a way that just drove him wild. No lube, this was all natural wetness. This was what he was doing to her -- he couldn't believe it! Real natural mare juice was just incredible. It was sticky yet didn't slow him. It let him glide, but just gave that little bit of viscosity to accentuate rubbing against the walls of her vagina. He glided like heaven, her juices flowing free and heavy. He pounded her faster and faster, fucking her with everything he had as pleasure mounted in his body. He rutted her like a beast.

The slick and smooth texture of Cadance's pussy was indescribable. It just created amazing feelings every which way. It invited him inside when he rested on the labia, filled him with delicious static as he plunged in, hugged his cock snugly while he was hilted, and gave a silky kiss as he pulled out. "So good... Doing you feels so good!"

"Shining, don't stop, you feel incredible." She took her free hand down to where they met and played with her clit. "Kiss me!" He leaned forward and gave her his lips. She didn't so much kiss him as awkwardly try to eat his face in a flurry of passion. He mastered her, wrestled her jaws underneath his, and kissed her back, assailing her with his lips, invading her with his tongue, battering hers into submission as he made her submit beneath him. The primitive brain cheered as he felt her moans fill his mouth, shuddering head to toe in delight at what he was doing.

He was rutting her. He felt amazing and he didn't want to stop. He didn't even know if he could stop. He was balls deep in the most beautiful creature alive and he felt so marvelously energized. All he wanted to do was fuck the female, ejaculate, conceive, become family... He put his back into his thrusts. He felt her shudder. His hand went to her breast. He toyed with it vigorously even as he kissed her and fucked her. Cadance's mouth burst free from his to let loose a piercing scream. She shuddered and writhed, her cunt growing impossibly wet and hot. Her body went wild, thrashing up and down, up and down.

"Cadance, I!"

"Cum inside me!"

Shining Armor surged forward one last time. He couldn't pull out -- legs were locked around him and it felt just too good, so amazing. White flashes of pleasure flashed through his eyes. His cock felt like it was ripping as something searing hot leapt from the tip. He moaned in pleasure, clamping his mouth onto Cadance's breast and sucking as hard as he could, getting her to do the same, and her nails raking his back and shoulders. She rocked and sent jagged spikes of sensation rocketing through him as he clung to her for dear life, forcing himself into her. Deep! Deep! Deep! He squeezed and pinned. In desperation, she tore him off her breast and kissed him, howling into each other's mouths while their tongues flailed like snakes.

His hot cum pumped out in jets, so hot it seared at his skin and he felt it leak out around his base. The most gorgeous mare he'd ever seen, and his body was doing its best to satisfy its base desires. She was wrapped around him, begging him to give her his all.

His lungs burned in deprivation, his heart felt like it would rattle loose, but he kept at it. He stayed hilted, writhing and moaning inside Cadance as spasms wracked his entire body. He cried out loudly, sometimes her name, sometimes nameless gasps of pleasure. She stroked his back now, now coaxing and comforting him as his body began to wind down from the peak with her. He reopened his eyes and saw her looking completely dissheveled, her mouth hanging open in a dopey smile, her breasts still jiggling as he fucked her with what was left.

He kissed her one final time. He looked down at her, his dick softening. "Cadance, I..."

"Shining, just..."

"Woooowwweeeeee..." With that, he collapsed next to her, his arms still wrapped around and she threw her arms around him to clutch him tightly.

"Shit. That was... that was... intense," Cadance chuckled tremulously.

"It was." They couldn't stop looking at each other. They couldn't stop laughing. They couldn't stop cuddling. They couldn't let go. And so they clung, though they were covered in sweat, juices, and other things, and stunk to high heaven, but they didn't care.

At long last, Cadance propped herself up on her tummy and elbows. She kissed him on the chest, rubbing herself against his burgeoning pectorals. With her head on him, she flirted, "Was I everything you ever creamed?"

"I'll let you know when my brain gets back from the moon in six weeks. That was amazing, Cadance, wow. Thanks for fucking me til I can't see straight."

"I can say the same to you. Did Velour teach you all that?"  
"  
Ye-yeah. Why?"

"Just curious," the mare clucked innocently. You know, Shining, all the kissing during it, I didn't think you'd be the romantic type."

"Speaking of romance things, about the train again... I was mad at you for stopping it, but now I understand better; you made the right call. I would have done you right there and then without thinking. What made you change your mind?"

"A few things. You respecting my no without whining, how you handled your mom, and also what Velvet said."

"Really, what mom said?"

"Yep. She laid it out in simple terms that we don't have much time to lose, so if we're going to do something, do it now while you're present and I'm available."

Shiny whistled. "Well, now we've done it. Let me be the first to say holy fuck, that was awesome."

"Second." Cadance laughed. Shining laughed. "Even if we never do this again, this'll be one for the ages, Shiny."

"You don't say."

Eventually, Cadance had to sit up. "Sorry, Shiny, I gotta go."

"Nah, it's okay," he said back to her dreamily. She saw the inflated condom still on his dick. She was impressed at the size of the load. She lit up her horn, tied it up, and dropped it in his trashcan. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." She got dressed in a flash with her magic. "Really." She bent down to kiss him. This last kiss of theirs was retiring but gentle. She stroked down his back, making him relax. "See you later, one last round of my help, maybe?"

"You bet," he answered, relaxing in her arms even further.

Cadance turned and left. She saw him comfortably snuggled in blankets as she turned back around to close the door. For a guy with aspirations of going to war, and for a guy who could fuck like that, he could also look surprisingly sweet and vulnerable, and for sure not in a bad way. It melted her heart a little bit to finally see the guy properly peaceful, especially after the hectic nightmare they'd been caught in ever since she had tracked him to that Manehattan motel room. She considered this one a job well done. The fact that she as a mare was done was just mere gravy on top of it all.

Cadance descended the stairs carefully. At the landing she was greeted by a silver mare. She smiled sheepishly. "How much did you hear?"

Twilight laughed, "Hear what? I've been passed out drunk, but you, my dear princess, are looking like you just sprinted a mile through a cloud of laughing gas." There was a pause. "So how is he?"

Cadance nodded and leaned against the wall. "Good. Re-resilient, I meant. psychologically. There are still some issues left to work out with him, but he's not one to worry about."

"Issues, such as?"

"He kinda still has a bit of a thing about you."

Velvet raised an eyebrow. "Me me or...?"

"Just you you."

The older mare frowned. "He didn't say anything about Velour, did he?"

"Just that she taught him well," Cadance answered as she brushed hair out of her eyes. She tried to magically comb and bun it, but it was going to take a proper shower and a rubdown before she could. Twilight nodded at her with a small noise from her throat.

"If you don't mind me asking, when you said he has issues about me, what does that mean?"

"It means that he still has some confusing feelings for you, strong ones. Thanks to your escapades, he still sees you sexually and can't deny that he has a desire for you."

Twilight Velvet sighed, "Shit... So what do you recommend?"

"Well, if you and him have one chance to work it all out before Night returns, you should work on it sooner rather than later. And before I ask, you don't have anything, do you?"

"I don't know. It'll be a couple more weeks before I get my blood panel back. One of Night's conditions was a clean one. Yeah, I'm freaking out low key about it."

"Smart man. I can see why you're on edge about it." Cadance glanced over at the door.

"What about physical contact with him, should we have it or not?"

"That's up to you two. It has to come to an end anyway. If you two want to do anything, I can't stop you – it may be beneficial to try living that fantasy out now, perhaps the reality will dissuade you, or at least it’ll be worked out of your systems. Personally, once you've both solved whatever longing or whatever is still going on, I think you should end that part of your relationship, not that you have much choice unless you want things to get really ugly."

"Will you be visiting again, Princess Cadance?"

The pink mare sucked in a breath and held it. She worked the question over and over in her head, considering several different angles for a few minutes. "I think I will be, yes. Don't quote me on it, but if you need me, or even just want some help making sure it's moderated like today's was, you know you only need ask."

"Speaking of today... Cadance, what would you have done if Shining hadn't forgiven me? I saw the look in his eye right before he hugged me while I was crying. I was scared for a moment.":

"I wouldn't have let him beat you if that's what your asking. But I wasn't going to force him to forgive you."

"But wouldn't that be contrary to your role as the princess of love?"

She shook her head. "Not at all. Anger comes before forgiveness, and forcing that forgiveness just to make things smooth is a recipe for hatred. Had he said he didn't forgive you and I forced him to do so anyway, he wouldn't really forgive you, he'd instead still be angry at you and resent me for forcing him to crush his feelings away. And before you ask, you aren't the worst person I've ever met, even on the job. You're not even a top 20 contender."

Velvet hugged her. "Thank you, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza."

"Cadance, just Cadance," chuckled the much taller mare as Velvet's face mashed into her bosoms.

Then she felt a hand squeeze on gently. Still sensitive, she shuddered. Her heart gave a leap. "You will come back, won't you?"

"Just say my name." She hugged Velvet, offering no resistance to what the mare was doing.

"I'd like to hear you say my name," Velvet teased, caressing the alicorn's other breast. "There's a non zero chance you may have to sit in on something to finish helping my boy and I."

"I know."

"Are you okay with that?"

"I think I'll be. I've seen your body through Velour -- I wasn't the customer. And I think I'll be just fine seeing Shining if that's what you mean. Are you implying what I think you're implying?"

Velvet nodded. "I am. If we do, don't worry, you only need to moderate, unless you want to get involved." Velvet brushed down her Cadance's hip, pushing their bodies together.

Cadance blushed pink. "Errr, thanks. Well, I've got to go now, Velvet. I will see you again if you need me. You only have to call and I'll be come as fast as I can."

"I bet." Velvet winked. Cadance laughed and walked out the door. Once she was out and it was shut, she let out of a mad giggle and began skipping back to the castle, not caring about her bearing in that moment at all.


	15. Bonds Rebuilt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weeks after the confrontation, Shining and Velvet have been working through their issues. Cadance comes to help Shining and Velvet patch up their relationship before Night Light returns home. She's willing to do anything to see it through. Anything.

Shining Armor came down in the late morning. He had smelled it before he saw it: eggs and porridge with a mare cooking it cheerily, a jaunty tune spilling from her lips as she whistled, her prominent hips swaying and a foot tapping to the beat. She reached over and threw some salt on the skillet.

"Morning, Mom!" Shining greeted as he thudded onto the landing and turned right to face her.

"Good morning, Shining," she said back, "breakfast is almost ready. What would you like?"

"Bacon and muffins, please, Mom."

Twilight Velvet clicked her tongue. "What are you calling me per Cadance's recommendation?"

"May I have breakfast, please, Velvet?"

"Very good. Sorry, my young man, you should've gotten up for first breakfast."

"But, Mo, I mean Velvet, I'm a hungry young man. I need a full breakfast!" Shining fake whined at he walked up behind her, sounding as pitiful as possible.

"And good guards get up at 5. You'll just have to make do with second breakfast, just made for you."

He nuzzled up behind her. "But what about elevensies, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, supper?"

"Well you wouldn't be up so late if you hadn't been quite so insistent last night."

"With our limited time together... Whether you grow a second stomach is up to you," Velvet laughed, turning her head to greet him. He hugged her hips from behind. She did not shrink from him, instead wiggling them in his grasp. Her face found itself inches from his own. She leaned in and he kissed her full on the lips. "Good morning."

"I love you."

"I love you, too. Have a seat?"

Shining obliged the older mare, getting seated at the table. There was a hot cup of tea waiting for him, and at the mare's place was an envelope marked as being from Canterlot Diagnostic Clinic. The stallion picked it up and looked at it. He felt the envelope. Good stationery. Folded paper lurked within. His heart skipped a beat. He looked at the mare, down to her hips. Flashes went through his vision from many times before -- her bare body, his too, heat and moans. Spilled seed and sweaty bodies. He felt a constriction in his chest. He felt an itch between his legs.

"Is this what I think it is?"

"Meaning?" Twilight asked as she turned around. "Oh. Yes, it is. Wait a sec and we'll read it over breakfast."

"You read it; it's for you."

"It's important for both of us," Velvet retorted with a slight edge in her voice.

Shining said nothing. He sat there is a state of quiet panic, wondering what was going to come next. Was he infected? Would it be permanent or temporary? What if he'd impregnated her. He took a gulp of mint tea to steady himself. No, he hadn't impregnated Velvet, at least not likely. As for the diseases, they were both waiting on that. After a couple minutes of waiting, Velvet came over with a plate for him and levitated the envelope towards herself.

Shining dug in with a grateful mumble while she smiled at him. He made a concerted effort to avoid the envelope poised between his mother's fingers. He took the time to forcefully appreciate the complexities of the flavors of his tea and of his eggs. The clock ticked by second after second.

"Shall I open it now or do you want me to read it with me?"

"Read it now," he said through food.

Velvet gave a constrained whinny. "Okay, here goes..." She drew back and unfolded the paper. She was tense, Shining could see it. So was he. "Twilight Radiance Velvet... Pregnancy? Negative."

"Oh praise Celestia!" Shining exhaled with a visible sag of his shoulders. "I'm not responsible enough to be a father."

"I wouldn't let you become one. Anyway... Sexually Transmitted Immunodeficiency? Negative. Trichomoniasis? Negative. Chlamydia? Negative. Herpes Simplex 1? Positive."  
Shining's eyes fell. He looked at her, jaw dropping agape. "Y-You gave me H-HERPES!? H-How could you? But I, I'm so young, and I can-"

"It's just cold sores -- similar virus, different places and manifestation. Pretty much everyone gets them."

"Oh..." Shining breathed. "I for a moment thought..."

"Well we don't know yet."

"How could I have gotten that? I used condoms except with you, and you looked clean." He sounded accusatory.

"Shining, calm down. You've kissed other mares, right?"

"Yeah, but I only did it raw with you!"

"If it's on your face it means it came from kissing -- you don't have an STD, at least not that we know of -- these are my results, remember?" Velvet continued, "Herpes Simplex 2? Negative. Equine Papiloma Virus? Negative. Gonorrhea? Negative. Siphyllis? Negative."

"So we're clear?" Shining asked.

"We're clear," Velvet confirmed, sagging into her seat in a mirror of her son. "I don't know what I would have done if you'd gotten me pregnant. Or I'd gotten you sick."

Shining Armor agreed, "Yeah, I'm too young to be a father."

Velvet nodded. "I started seeing him when he was younger than you, but he had a harder time growing up than you. In a way he had to be a man before his time. He was only in his early 20's when we had you, but he was a full man by then."

"So what am I then?"

The mare giggled, "A kid fresh out a high school -- not a bad one, but you have a lot of growing up to do."

He crossed his arms. "Like how?"

"Notice how your tea didn't have milk in it."

"Well, we're out of it, Mom, that's not my-" Shining stopped. "Ooohhhhhh," he gasped. "I'm still acting like your son despite trying this roleplaying exercise, aren't I?"

"You are, Shiny, sorry, you're still in that juvenile mindset. Don't worry -- it's not like you're my husband or anything. You'll grow into being a fine man in your own time. If it's any consolation, I can't stop acting like your mom, either."

Shining nodded as he finished his last mouthfuls of porridge and washed them down with the remainders of his milk-free tea. He at last spoke. "So, uh, is that enough of this weird relationship experiment and should we call Cadance?"

"Let's."

________________________________________

The pink princess came shortly after lunch. Shining went to get the door and let her in, and she greeted him with a kiss on the lips. She and Shining sat in the places they had occupied earlier during their confrontation with Velvet. She was dressed much more casually this time, but Shining noticed that her chest had more jiggle in it than usual. If he had to hazard, she wasn't wearing a bra underneath the polo that clung tightly to her slender frame with a gap exposed between her shorts for her flat midriff. Shining felt a small thrill as he remembered her pert, perky chest.

They each had a glass of wine filled nice and tall. Cadance took her first sip and asked, "So, how's this exercise in roleplay going?" They opened their mouths simultaneously, blabbing over each other. Cadance said, "Eeeny-meeny-miney-moe -- you first, Shiny."

He sipped. "After two weeks of roleplaying what it'd be like to be together romantically, things are still kinda weird.."

"Details?" the alicorn asked. She held her chin on her palm.

"It's just weird, really really weird pretending Velvet's my lover and we're a couple. I mean, when we're out of sight of people, we act like we're together, y'know, as a pair. Even though we're supposed to be acting like lovers, I still can't make myself stop thing of and treating her like she's my mother. I even call her mom all the time."

"And not just at night," Velvet laughed as she sloshed her wine.

Cadance shot a look at her. "What would you say this has taught you?"

Shining said slowly, "That I really can't be the stallion my mom needs; I'm her son, and no matter how we experiment, I can't change that."

"I see. Velvet, what would be your comments on these observations?"

Twilight stretched and drank some more. "I agree; we're parent and child, there's no way we could make a romantic relationship work between us. It's not just that he doesn't call me the right thing half the time, it's also that we're just in such different places in life. I'm a middle aged mom, he's a graduated teenager The sex is great, but I’m thinking about house payments, insurance policies, and how to have money stashed for retirement. He’s thinking about first jobs and where to party. I've had two children, he has none, or he better not or else." She playfully glared at him then his penis.

"How did your tests go?"

"Since your last visit I've gotten my results. Clean clean clean, other than simplex 1, so just cold sores maybe sometimes. And not pregnant."

Cadance smiled. "That must be a weight off your shoulders."

"You have no fucking idea," Velvet said. Shining nodded and toasted the air in agreement. The trio clinked their glasses together and drained them and refilled.

"When's Night hearing the good news?"

"He already did. I snapped a photo and sent it his way. He says he still wants to see the paper when I he gets back; I can't say I blame him after everything I put him through." Silence befell them. "Shining and I don't really have too much in common, either. I mean I like being around him and all that, and I love him like family, but we're not really into the same things -- we're not really into the same shows, movies, books, or just things in general."

"It's true," Shining said, "I love Velvet, but I can't really get into her stuff and she doesn't really like mine. All we've really had in this simulation of us being lovers thing is sex. I love her, but I can’t love love her."

Cadance adjusted herself. She drew tersely on her wine. "And how has that been?" she asked quickly.

"Pretty damn good."

"Well, pretty good when it works out." Cadance's ears twitched.

"Meaning?"

Velvet took over from him. "He's got some hangups doing it with me, like he's holding back or something. As much as it irks me to say it, we can't quite get the intensity we need to work it all out of our systems. He can't let himself be truly vulnerable with me, and I can't feel that thrill one last time."

Cadance drummed her fingers against the stem of her mostly full glass. "I see... So one of you can't quite work through their hangup because you keep freezing up, and the other one of you can't quite work through their obsession because they can't get put there again to turn away from it?"

"Yup," the two said together.

Cadance turned her attention back to Shining. "Okay, so what's going on in your opinion?"

"I keep holding back when mom and I get... intimate."

"Meaning?" She read a blush on his face. "Don't tell me you're goi-"

"Not like that!" he clarified. "I just take a while, sometimes really long, and I just can't match her enthusiasm. I end up more or less just pushing in and out and in and out for a long time until I finally cum."

Cadance nodded and asked, "When you say that, what do you mean? Like is it a good time all around up until then, or does it leave Velvet all sore and bored."

Shining took a drink and topped up his glass. "The latter, unfortunately. It's not that it feels bad, but I just can't make myself charge up the hill when I notice I'm getting to the peak. It's like something's holding me back?"

"I understand. What goes through your mind when it happens?"

Shining Armor took a deep draught to drain and glass and then refilled it halfway before taking another sip. "Nothing really. We're having sex and it's starting to feel really damn good, but when I start to feel like I'm getting close to cumming, it stops feeling better, then it goes back to the plateau. And I can't keep going at full speed forever, so I end up slowing down long after Mo- Vel-Velvet's had her orgasm, and then I just kinda keep going until I cum something like a half hour later?"

"Thirty minutes?" Cadance's eyes widened. "Twilight, is he serious?"

"As a heart attack," Velvet sighed with legs and arms crossed. "Sorry, Shiny, but it does get boring and it does kinda hurt."

"Sorry."

"Anything else of note?"

"Just one thing, Princess, when he comes after such a long time, it's restrained, almost like it's repressed. I know what he sounds like when it's crashing over him and he's into it. Oh, by Celestia, it's intense! But when he's gotten tensed up, he almost acts like he isn't enjoying it, more like relieved it's over." The princess's ears stood straight up. "I know, sure, he climaxes and hilts, groans a little bit, but he isn't clinging to me and calling my name."

"What do you think could be causing this?" Velvet opened her mouth. "Sorry, I want to hear his side of it."

"When I'm about to cum, sometimes I find myself getting tense, not in my hands or legs like in anticipation, but more like holding my breath and tensing up my shoulders. When it finally hits those times, it's just not as intense. It feels like I'm holding something back, like I just can't let it go and let it all out." His glass was empty.

Cadance nodded. "That's interesting. Before I say what I think, how often do you two cum either together or close?"

"I usually make sure mom cums before we start fucking, but during sex, almost never; I almost always cum at least a minute or two after her."

"Aaah!" Cadance declared. "I think I got it. I think you're afraid of her lashing out at you while you're vulnerable, so you subconsciously make yourself wait until you're absolutely sure it's safe to release.""

"Can that happen, is that even a thing?" the stallion asked. He refilled his glass and sipped away. They had all downed at least a glass and a half.

Velvet chimed in. "It is. I've seen it, normally with guys who are, as Cadance said, nervous about something or other, or they have some worry distracting them. They're just so tense they can't make themselves relax enough to just let their orgasm happen. Velour sees it, too." She hesitated. "Now... come to think of it, this usually happens when you're on top or taking me from behind; you usually pop on cue if I'm sucking or riding you, and I think Cadance hit the nail on the head. You don't feel safe giving up control for that good half minute when you're unsure about how I'm feeling about the whole thing. If I'm on top or doing it to you, it means I'm clearly into it. If you're the one doing the fuck, there's always some doubt in the back of your mind about how I really fee about it, whether or not I'm enjoying it or hiding something about how I'm feeling that's going to come out. Is that it?

"Maybe. I think so." Shining agreed darkly. "But how do we fix this so we can go back to how things were?" He looked over at Cadance.

She began, "Well, there are a few ways. You could have therapy sessions, which we are kinda having. There's hypnosis, some Zebrican herbal supplements are said to be good for anxiety, you can work on this together."

Velvet said, "Those are all good ideas, except there's just a couple days until Night gets back, and you know his conditions for staying with me." The other two nodded. "We don't have time for all that, we just don't."

"Well, what can we do, then?" Shining asked. He saw Cadance ponder her wine for several seconds and take a deep draught, then drain a mostly refilled glass again.

Velvet turned to him. "I don't want to have to go behind Night's back, but we may have to if we can't resolve this any other way."

"Do you think Velour could help? Have her talk me through it or something?"

"I don't know, maybe. Or I could start off a round as Velour and transition back during without telling you. Maybe blindfold you so you can't see. And after we're done, I take off the blindfold and you see me smiling at you."

"That sounds pretty good, Twilight. How are you going to her accent, though?"

"Yuh meen lahk this?" They laughed together. "What do you think of that, Princess?"

Shining looked back at the pink mare, who was now wearing a definite blush. "I think that's fine..." Cadance drifted off. Eyebrows were raised at her expectantly. "But just to be sure it's just what you're saying, I'd like to..." Cadance blushed even harder. "I'd like to observe you two during, um, private time."

"What, Cadance!?"

"Sure."

"Mom!?" Shining gasped, rounding on her. "You're okay with Cadance watching us have sex??"

Velvet met her son's eyes and shrugged her shoulders. "It's not too extreme. Cadance has at least seen you naked, She's seen my body as Velour, and she also watched you and Velour do it back in Canterlot."

"Y-yeah, but isn't this a little extreme?"

Cadance interjected, "I am okay with it, Shining, Velvet, provided both of you are on board. I don't have to touch either of you physically, unless you want me to, that is."

Velvet said, "It looks like that chance may yet come to pass."

Shining said, "You knew this was going to happen, Twilight."

Shaking her head, the older mare said, "No no, I didn't know it for sure, but I had a feeling about it."

"She did ask once," clarified Cadance.

"When?"  
"Right after our private activities I can't confirm or deny one way or the other." She took a bit more wine.

Laughter came from Velvet. "You guys fucked, just say it."

Cadance shrugged her shoulders and cast another look up and down the stallion's body. There was a small yet revealing grin on her lips. "Anyway, Shiny, before I left, I talked with your mom briefly about what to do going forward. I told her that you're short on time, so whatever it takes to work out your feelings or any remaining tension, best to do that while you still can. Thank you, by the way, for keeping me updated, and thank you for calling me again. Anyhow, one of the potential measures we talked about was me coming back here for another session and perhaps a little bit more than just talk. I agreed to her request that, if need be, I would observe you two in the act so I could identify issues firsthand for you."

Velvet said, "That's right, my love, momma got you a prescription for a threesome." She took another gulp of booze and shot the alicorn a smouldering look.

Cadance chuckled, "Maybe not quite... I mean..." She sat herself upright. "You're okay with me joining you in there, right?" Her eyes were fixed on Shining. She twirled her hair and patted herself subconsciously on the breast.

"If Velvet's okay with it and you think it's for the best, I don't see why not..." He couldn't meet her eyes, he was crossing his arms down low, and he was blushing brightly.

"Super," Cadance said. "So, If everyone here has no objections, shall we go upstairs?"

"Let's," Shining and Velvet agreed together. She took the lead, Shining knew it was to the room with the big bed.

They all finished their wine, stood up, one much more awkwardly than the others. Cadance eyed the bulge in the male's garments and shot him an approving nod. She turned around to lead them the short way to the stairs. There was a spring to her step and a certain kind of fullness in her chest as she took deep, quick breaths. She practically skipped up the steps ahead of the other two, her feet popping high into the air like a happy puppy's. Velvet was in front of Shining and she wiggled her hips to tease him behind her. Her generous hips shook as she walked, teasing seasoned sexuality, taunting his instincts to seize her by the waist, yank down her shorts, and take her right then and there until seed dribbled down her legs, never mind the bedroom. Last was Shining Armor, walking almost as if in a dream. He was unable to hide his erection. Two beautiful women were beckoning him upstairs for fun times. He almost didn't dare blink for fear that if he did he'd wake up alone and frustrated with a nagging erection. He saw Cadance at the top of the stairs waiting for them.

When they got to the top, Velvet took over the lead, Cadance instead choosing to now follow behind him. She quietly asked in his ear, "Are you nervous?"

"At least a little," he admitted.

She pinched his ass. "You're not worried about disappointing us, are you?"

"What? No. What are you going to be doing, anyway?"

Before Cadance could answer the question, they arrived in his mom's bedroom. Twilight Velvet sat on the edge of the bed and patted beside her for Shining to sit there. He did so and Cadance closed the door behind them, now leaning against the wall casually. Velvet scooted closer to her son and he held her hand on her thigh. His fingertips grazed the fabric absentmindedly. The two of them looked at the pink alicorn hanging back.

Tension was floating thick in the air. Shining felt like if he moved too quickly he would smack headlong into a solid wall of it.

He spoke first. "So, exactly how is thing supposed to work? I can't say I've ever had a threesome before."

Cadance flicked her mane back. "Weeellllllllllll," she began, "it's not really exactly a threesome, unless you want it to be. It's more like a supervised roll in the hay."

"So what are you going to be doing then if not joining us?"

"I'll be watching you. Think of it kind of like how I moderated for you two when we had the huge talk a few weeks ago, or when I walked in on you and Velour in Manehattan. I'll be making sure you two play nice with each other and also see if you're giving each other what you need. If there are any other underlying issues, I'll spot them and let you know so you can work on them in private."

"So it's pretty much sex therapy?"

Cadance nodded at the white unicorn. "Kinda sorta more or less."

Twilight said, "Understood. So how do we get started?"

Cadance laughed before asking, "How do you two usually have sex?"

Velvet made a silent grunt of recognition and pulled her top up and over her head. Casting it aside, she magically undid her bra. After a bit of hesitation, Shining followed suit, pulling off his shirt and then removing his pants and boxers. His erect penis stood up proudly for all to see. Meanwhile, Velvet's breasts tumbled free and she stood to remove her panties. As she bent down to remove them, Shining got a great view of her ass. His pulse quickened as he realized the mare was now nude, and the whole scenario went from hypothetical to very much real. He always got a thrill watching a mare remove her panties; something about it flipped a switch in his mind that said he was about to have sex. He and his mom were naked, however, Cadance was still fully clothed.

As if reading her son's mind, Velvet asked, "What would it take to get you naked, Princess?"

She crossed her legs. "I can do whichever's more comfortable for all involved. However, for the purposes of professionalism, I would rather keep my clothes on."

Shining asked, "Can you get naked, too, please? It's kinda weird you just standing there dressed like that while we're down to our skins."

"It would be more natural," Velvet agreed.

"I would rather not, at least not right away."

Velvet said, "Have it your way."

"That's what I said. Now, can you show how you initiate?"

The couple on the bed looked at each other. Shining leaned forward towards Velvet after a moment's hesitation. He meant to ask her something, but he caught that blazing look in her eye and the slight openness of her mouth. He kissed her -- full on the mouth, in full view of Princess Cadance. Shining Armor kissed his mother full on the mouth and pressed his body against hers. Her breasts squished against his chest, her arms sought to embrace him. It was just an introductory kiss, chaste but loving. Velvet returned the kiss and made it lascivious. She added tongue. He replied with more tongue and a little bit of moan. They broke apart to breathe, and he peppered her face and neck with little kisses while she smiled at him. She massaged his back, petting him from his shoulder blades down. They kissed again and he pushed harder. She leaned into the kiss, but then drew back to bait him into pursuing. She took his hand and pressed it to her chest. He squeezed enthusiastically. His fingers dug into the orb. Velvet's legs began to open, her knee pressing against her son's thigh as she pressed herself onto him. She hugged him around the back and swooned backwards.

Shiny took the initiative to push her backwards. Velvet splayed onto her back, her son atop her. They kissed more, their kisses no longer chaste pecks, but full, lusty open-mouthed wrestling matches between their lips and tongues. Cadance observed that it was undisguised lust between mother and son, but it was without the tenderness she had expected -- respectful and lively, yes, but it wasn't tender in the way of making actual love. Her mind went back to how she'd seen Shining and Velour fuck; they'd gotten hot and fast, but there was only a facsimile of tenderness in their pairing. She remembered her own encounter with the young man. This had much of the passion, but none of the playfulness or tenderness. Her knees knocked with how Shinning kissed and groped the other mare.

Part of her wondered just how different Velvet and Velour really were. She shoved that thought away.

She took a couple steps closer and spoke up. "What are you two intending?"

Velvet answered first, "Letting Shiny take me hard like our first two times together."

Shining followed with, "Making love to Velvet."

Cadance held up her hand. They stopped to look at her. "Do you two ever communicate these things to each other when you go to bed, or do you just have at it?"

"Errr, not really, Cady. It's kinda like a whirlwind of passion and hormones when we do it."

The princess nodded. "Okay," she wheedled, hugging herself tight around the middle, "I think I see part of what you two haven't quite been able to meet your goals. It's hackneyed, I know, but you really do need to communicate about what you want and what you want to do. Shining, you've been wanting to make love, and, Velvet, you've been looking for a rutting -- have you talked about what you've wanted with each other?"

The two of them shook their heads. "No.”

"That's what I thought," said Cadance. She locked eyes with the youngest one. "Shining, what do you want from this sex?"

"I want to make love with Velvet. I want to just hold her close, feel her against me, and just know that it's okay and she loves me."

"Velvet, what do you want from this?"

"I want Shining to fuck me until I can't walk."

The pink alicorn stroked her chin. "You can see how this is a bit of an impasse." She caught the downcast gazes. "Not that you can't both be happy!" she chirped to rescue. "Do you mind if I make a judgement call?"

"Go ahead," Velvet said. Her horn was lit and a small aura was massaging Shining's dick.

"I think Shining's wish should be tended to first. Yours'll be easier to handle once he's emotionally validated, and I have a feeling once he's secure as a man and knows in his heart he has nothing to worry about from you, he'll be able to give you the wild fuck you need."

Velvet chewed the inside of her mouth. "Okay, let's do that. Shining, do you mind if this round is all about you?"

"I don't know if I can perform again later; let's do your thing first."

She hugged him and held him close, looking him right in the eye. "I'm sorry, but you not being able to quite scratch that itch of mine is because I haven't shown you the tender, loving care you need. We have all day today, we have all day tomorrow. we even have time the day after for that. You didn't think this was going to be the last time we had sex, did you?" She smiled and kissed his forehead.

"I was worried about that. I kinda don't want this to end, it's been a really nice time doing it with you. Anyway, if you want to help me first, let's do that." He gave her a very serious look Cadance interpreted as almost weary. "Please, when I'm cumming inside you, kissing you, please don't lash out at me again. I need you, I need this."

Velvet cozened him to her bosom and petted the back of his head. "Of course, my little love, I'll protect you. After all you and her have done to bring me back in line, I wouldn't dare hurt you again. I just want to help you -- any mother would do whatever it took to help her child. If I have to do this, I will -- I can use my body to comfort you." They gazed into each other's eyes, kissing lightly. Shining touched Velvet's face. Cadance cheered silently as she saw that tenderness begin to manifest.

"Thank you, Velvet, I mean Mom."

"You can call me Velvet; you're man enough."

He chuckled, "I'll call you Mom; I can't call any other woman that."

She kissed his cheek. "Fair enough. I like it when you do that, my little boy." They embraced tenderly and he kissed her breasts. His lips found their way to a nipple. He suckled her gently as the older woman began to coo at the young male on her chest.

Cadance could smell it now. There was the sweat from the two lovers, and she now distinctly got a whiff of Twilight's arousal and Shining's androgens. Their bodies were crying out for satisfaction. She felt the tingles and heat from lower down in her own body. She had a dull ache between her legs and a desire to run her hand through that cleft, but she stifled it -- this wasn't for her amusement, unless...

They were inviting each other. His hand went to her stray teat. These were not simple gropes, he was squeezing and massaging, digging in his fingers as if seeking purchase and reassurance. Velvet made small noises of arousal. Her legs were wide open with him nestled in between them. She was offering herself to him, and he was accepting, timidly, incrementally. He slowly advanced up her, his kisses rising from her tits to her collarbone. She hugged him close and secretly touched herself between her legs. Cadance heard the gentle gasp. Velvet shot Cadance a look and pointed her eyes at a drawer. The alicorn understood, and opening the drawer, found a bottle of lube. She opened it, squirted some out, and levitated it over to Velvet's vulva, getting some around the labia as well as deeper inside. She was here to help, after all.

Cadance knelt near the bed and watched. Shining was now sucking Velvet's neck fit to leave a big fat hickey. He did, and he also left a trail of neat little kisses from her collar to her chin. Velvet dug her fingertips into his shoulder blades and guided him higher. At last their lips met again. The lust was still there, but Cadance recognize it as he held her chin and she hugged his face to hers: longing. Their eyes were shut in bliss as they just soaked in the feeling of being together.

He was laying on her, his dick just inches away from her slit. He realized this suddenly, drawing back. "Mom?" Shining asked. "Is this really okay with you? You're not going to flip out at me this time, are you?"

“I won’t let her.”

"It's fine, Shiny," said Velvet, shaking her head, "I want you inside me. I want you to feel good with me. If this is what you need to be feel better, I'll happily let you take me like this a thousand times. I'm yours."

"Mom..." His arms shook as he whispered that most powerful of short words.

"Shiny..."

He brushed her face and then a stray hair from her brow. "Velvet... Are you ready... May I?"

She kissed him deeply, and in pulling him up, he came to a sort of kneeling squat between her spread inner thighs. He hugged her tight close to himself. She pulled up on his hips. "Make love to me. Be tender. Skin to skin. I want you. Let it all out inside me. Tell me how you feel. Let me comfort you. Fill me. Make me your woman. I'm ready. I love you." His tip brushed her entrance. Cadance saw the dark blush on the mare's cheeks.

"I love you, too."

They kissed. She rolled her hips better in line with him. He clasped her hand and pressed forwards. He was inside her. It took a few thrusts before he hilted in her. Velvet craned her neck and hissed. Shining thrust faster. He settled on a gentle pace, sliding in and out of her slowly.

It wasn't hot sex, it wasn't inflamed, it was sensual. Their bodies rocked gently together. He let out a sigh of relief. Cadance saw the tension melt away as he stopped balls deep inside Velvet and she brushed his face, tracing the outline of his lips. He leaned down and kissed her lips. Muffled moans came from them as he made love to her. This was slow, tender sex. Shining hugged Velvet tightly. And as she arched her back beneath him, he wrapped his arms underneath the gap to keep her ensconced in his tremulous embrace. They were hugged together too tight for light to pass between their bodies.

Cadance felt her blush intensify and a pang of jealousy or envy -- she didn't know which -- Cadance wished it was her in that man's arms, in that man's bed, filled by that man. Her heart fluttered watching how he made Velvet react to him.

Velvet's breasts were squished against him. He pulled back from her face and looked down at her. He smiled and looked forward. He kissed her breasts and massaged them. Velvet hummed happily and soaked up the feelings. Even as he did this, he drove himself deep inside her. He hilted balls deep inside her pussy with every single thrust. Velvet encouraged him with little mewls and calls for him to take her.

Shining Armor made love to Twilight Velvet. His fear disappeared and he lost himself inside her loving embrace. She accepted him uncritically, warmly, with great care and affection as only a mother could love her son. Almost without a thought he rocked inside her. He then looped his arms around his mother's shoulders again, and with a grunt of effort, rocked backwards into a sitting position with Velvet's legs coiled around his back and his face in between her face and her chest. He buried his face in her cleavage, hugging her tightly. The stripes in her fur were visible to Cadance -- he was practically clinging to Velvet. The older mare worked her hips back and forth and up and down on his, riding him with great care. She nestled her chin atop his head, patting his shoulders while riding. His hands worked down to her butt and he squeezed, getting a smile from her. He chuckled back.

Their eyes met. They couldn't stop beaming at each other. A curious expression was on his face, his mouth hanging open as if in mid pant. No words came out. The adoration was plain of his face, the arousal clear on hers. They hugged, looking into each other's eyes. They slowed, still smiling. Velvet didn't totally stop, riding her son still, albeit slowly. He winced in pleasure, meeting her hips with his own in hopes of achieving even deeper intimacy of their bodies.

They kissed. The kissing was slow; they took their time, matching their makeout with what they were doing lower down. They stopped moving, holding cheek to cheek.

Shining whispered, "Mom..."

"Shiny..."

"I love you."

"I love you."

"You feel so good."

"Are you going to cum?"

"Soon, yeah."

"Do you want me to ride you through it?"

"I want to be on top; I want to make myself lose control inside of you."

"Okay. I'll tell you it's okay and how much I love you. I'll hold you even after you've stopped cumming and you're no longer inside me."

"Thanks, Mom."

"I love you, Shining."

He kissed her full on the mouth again but fiercely. Velvet's eyes widened at the force of her son's kiss -- it was like him lunging at her. She tumbled backwards, her legs still splayed and him in between them. She squeaked with surprised arousal into it, lashing at him with her tongue. She worked her hips to goad him on, and he responded as a male would.

Shining Armor fucked his mom. He held her hand while his other arm was wrapped around her shoulders. He kissed her time and again even as he kept thrusting in that same rhythm. His breathing was getting ragged, he was sweating, but he didn't slow and he didn't stop. He was determined to give himself to her.

Velvet put her legs around his back to hold him it. She stroked down his back. "You feel so good inside me, Shiny."

"Mom, you feel incredible." He shuddered as he hilted in her. He was squeezing her white knuckle tight.

"Tell me when you're about to cum."

"Soon.”

She kissed his neck. "Good boy. I want you to cum inside me." He sped up. Tiny groans were coming from behind his teeth. His body slapped against hers. "I need you to cum inside me. Don't stop," his mother encouraged. "Let it all out. It's okay. You feel incredible."

"Mom..."

"Shining..."

He was all the way inside her. She arched her back again, moaning a long peal of pleasure. His movements were becoming shaky. His thrusts were getting jerky and irregular. Cadance could see his balls tightened up in preparation to unleash their contents.

He looked into her eyes. "Please, tell me it's okay. Tell me you love me. Tell me it's okay to cum inside you."

"It's okay, Shiny. It's okay, I love you and I want you... I want you to cum inside me. It's safe -- let yourself lose control, give in and let yourself feel good. Mommy can handle it, mommy will protect you."

Tears were forming in the corners of his eyes. "Promise me."

"I promise." She kissed him and held him close. She touched his face. "I won't hurt you. Let it all out. Trust me. Let me have it all."

He kissed her messily. "I'm gonna cum!" he groaned. His arms went behind her in a hug. He fucked her even faster. "Mom..."

She saw his eyes widen, felt him shudder.

"Mom!" "Shiny! Yes yes yes! Cum inside me! Cum inside mommy! Cum for me!"

He tried to say something, but all that came out was a hoarse yell: "MOM! Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom!" He surged on top of her, hilting all the way as his cock twitched, sending spurts of hot cum flooding his lover's insides.

She rocked her hips, teasing his body to spill more for her. "Cum for me, baby, it's okay. Mommy's here. Cum for me. Give me all your cum," Velvet beckoned gently.

"MOM!" Shining cried out again. He scrabbled at her back, clenching into it. Shouts of pleasure flew from his mouth. They kissed. Then out came a sound of pain. "MOM!" Tears leaked from his eyes. "M-M-Mooomm!! Vel-Velvet!" he cried.  
Twilight ignored the tears, kissing him tenderly even as she milked him with her hips. "Shhh, shh, it's okay, I'm here. Let it all out."

His breath shuddered out a cry. Cum poured into her. He hugged her tight enough to crush -- she couldn't breathe with him clinging to her for dear life as a mix of bliss and agony overwhelmed him. He made love to her even as he sobbed her name. He kept thrusting, even as torrent after torrent streamed from his cock, even as it leaked from his mother's insides and ran down her in rivulets. "I LOVE YOU!" Shining screamed.

"I love you, Shining," she answered, kissing him again. Their tongues dueled furiously. She absorbed his shouts of pain and pleasure. She felt the heat and pressure of his ejaculation welling within her, her son's seed positively overflowing her cunt and leaking out. This all was so hot, so tender, and cathartic. At last she understood his reaction as she had turned on him in his moment of ecstasy. He was helpless to do anything but cry out, call her name, and flood her insides.

And so the woman hugged her son tight to her, cooing to him, stroking his hair and back, telling him it was all okay and she loved him. She kept it up even as the bursts of cum lessened. She kept it up even once his emissions ceased and he lingered within her. She kept it up even as he rolled onto his side utterly depleted and barely conscious. She held him even as his moans and cries gave way to weakening sniffles. She held him and kissed him, cooing sweet nothings into his ears and holding him as he held her.

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you, Shining."

"Thank you."

"I know you needed this."

"Thank you so much."

"No problem, I'm your mother, if you need me, I'll do whatever it takes to help you."

They kissed again deeply and lay in a stunned post-coital reverie, their juices flowing out and the sweat making them sticky. They met each other's eyes and kissed again, barely able to speak. And so they lay together for a great long while.

"I'm sorry I hurt you," Velvet said as she cuddled him.

"It's okay. I forgive you. I forgive you now. I think I can trust you again."

She kissed his cheek. He smiled. "You're too good of a man, Shining. You'd best be careful, or some dirty mare may just snatch you up all for yourself." Her eyes passed over Cadance. "She hasn't already?"

"We did."

"I knew it," Velvet laughed triumphantly. She nestled into the crook of her son's neck. "I just wanted hear you say it. You deserve a good mare, not some dirty old harlot like me, and not just rental good time girls. You deserve someone goof and pretty who appreciates your heart of gold. I don't know your plans, but just let me say that whatever happens, if you want to be with Cadance, you have my blessing. Just wait until you father hears about this, he'll be so happy."

He stroked her belly contemplatively. "Mom, I'm not going to be with Cadance, at least not for a while. She wants me to be free to be a young man and not get tangled up with her and the court life, not that I'm worthy of being with her in public yet."

"My son not worthy of a bride? Who says so?"

Cadance said, "I am a princess and have a certain image to maintain, and anyone I get involved with needs to be of a certain prestige to be taken seriously."

Velvet said, "I know I know, but what about after? This isn't going to last forever."

"Well.. I guess.. if he's not taken and I'm not bethrothed, a young princess could find herself quite smitten with a rising star officer in her guard…"

"I like the way you think, Princess." Velvet patted the bed. Cadance raised an eyebrow. "Come on, climb in if you want."

"Twilight, what are you trying to say?"

Shining could see all the signs on the mare's body -- blushing cheeks, ears standing high, pupils dilated, one hand on her breast and the other hugging her abdomen, and her thighs were rubbing together. Her voice was high and constrained, breathier than usual. She had even undone her top buttons during their copulation. "Cadance, you're acting turned on as hell."

She tried to straighten up. "It's perfectly natural to become um, aroused, watching others have sex. I swear this won't get in the way of my assessment."

"What is your assessment?"

The mare maintained her distance from the proffered position on the bed. She began, "Well, I think Velvet nailed it when she theorized your issues could have been because you were still anxious around her too much to really let yourself lose control. I think that I was correct to say having a properly tender, safe, gentle session focusing on intimacy and trust was just what you needed. I knew there was a missing ingredient; turned out you two just needed some help remembering to communicate. And now that she's given it to you soft, I don't see a reason you can't give her the wild rutting she needs."

Shining nodded. Twilight nodded. "That's what I thought, Princess. Aren't those clothes a little hot for this, though?" She rubbed a clear spot on the bed.

Cadance squeaked, "Are you proposing what I think you're proposing?"

"Depends." Velvet licked her lips dangerously. She sat more upright and patted the empty part of the big bed again.

"Mom?"

Velvet simply kissed Shining on the lips again. She felt his semen leaking from her pussy, coming out still quite warm. Velvet broke the kiss and turned over. She felt the trickle now cold and on her back as his penis still continued to leak feebly. She patted the bed. Shining was hugging her around her hips and holding her lower abdomen on her pelvis. Cadance walked up slowly. She reclined onto the bed, facing the couple. Velvet was in the middle, flanked by a younger pony on both sides. Velvet touched her almost timidly. She put a hand on the alicorn's clothed shoulder. When she didn't refuse, the hand migrated down respectfully to her exposed waist.

Velvet asked, "We aren't making you uncomfortable, are we, Princess?"

Cadance looked about the room for a second. "Not at all."

"My son and I didn't go at it too hard just now?"

Cadance shook a bang out of her eyes. "That was pretty hot, I mean, when you got into it, some real sparks were flying. I thought things may get a bit heated, but I didn't quite expect to see you go totally primal while still being so tender."

"What was it like watching us?"

Cadance said, "Beautiful. Being princess of love, I've got an eye for these things, and it wasn't one sex in a thousand that gets so raw, so emotional, so intense." She started to pant, placing a hand on Velvet's thigh. “The way you moved, the way you kissed, how he totally lost control and came balls deep inside you while calling out to you and you milking him, that was just unbelievable. It was honestly magical seeing two ponies pour out all their love for each other in one heated moment. Sorry, it's radiating off you two still so hard it almost feels like I'm drunk on it. I can't even begin to imagine how intense that must have been. It was like you just forgot the world and fucked like animals in heat, drunk on love. Thanks for the show." Velvet was caressing her face.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. We did, too," laughed Velvet. "Was there anything you wanted to say? Anything you noticed?"

Cadance shook her head. She was already sounding businesslike again. "I already said everything relevant when Shining asked. I think this was very important for you two, and from here, you could easily finish fixing what's wrong between yourselves."

"Anything else you want to say? Anything else you want to do?" The emphasis was placed carefully. Shining watched agape as Princess Cadance wriggled her petite hips, biting her lip fit to draw blood.

"D-Do you think you could let me sit in on your hard rutting session?"

Velvet kissed her gently. Shining inhaled, scandalized. There was a rustling of fabric as Cadance slid about. "Certainly, Princess." She turned over. "Shiny, honey, how soon do you think you can perform again?"

He could not believe his ears. "Shit, I don't know. Not for a while, maybe? I'm fine with her being here, though." The two mares nodded.

Cadance announced teasingly, "Since I'm staying longer than expected, I guess you're right, it is too damn hot for this outfit." The alicorn rolled out of bed. Standing up, she undid the last two buttons of her polo shirt. Cadance drew up to her full height as she magicked the shirt clear of her body. Shining felt a thrill as he realized he'd been correct -- her modest breasts were revealed before him. Before Shining could ask Cadance if this hadn't been part of her plan from the beginning, she undid the snaps on her little denim shorts and sent them sliding to the floor with a tug of her fingers and a squeezing together of her legs. Next fell her thin lacy panties -- Shining was now much less in doubt about how intentional this all was. And like that the full glory of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza was exposed -- breasts and pussy right there in the open. The youth's jaw fell open in disbelief both at her boldness and her sheer beauty. Cadance smiled.

"Wow, Cadance," he sighed aloud, "you're just so... and is this really okay?"

She shot him a smile. "Of course it is; I never speak carelessly.” She slid back into bed with them, letting Velvet and Shining ogle her.

"I'll say..." Velvet crackled, casting a hand over his pecs and rubbing down to his abs. "My boy is a very fine specimen, isn't he?"

"Everybody here already knows my opinion on that," laughed the pink alicorn.

Velour stretched. "There, everyone more comfortable now?"

"I guess so, Mom."

"Loads better,” said Cadance. The young ones looked at each other across Velvet's body.

"Are you sure it okay with you, Cadance?" Shining asked. "I don't want to pressure you or anything."

"I'm not being pressured," she chuckled, "I always took it into account this might happen. I'm kinda ashamed to admit that what I just witnessed did really turn me on, though." She stopped briefly. "You're not feeling pressured by this, are you?"

"Not exactly pressured..." Shining wheedled, "I'm more like intimidated -- I didn't wake up this morning expecting to find myself in bed with two beautiful mares, one of them intent on watching me and my mom bang."

Velvet sat up and scooted to look at them from the middle of the bed as Cadance moved closer to Shining.

"So, how do you want me to help with this round? Just observe, or something else?" Cadance was wringing her hands and not meeting Velvet's eyes, although she did meet Shining's.

"Feel free to watch up close," Velvet answered, "It's gonna be wild, so watch yourself."

Shining Armor asked Velvet. "When you do want your round?"

Twilight asked, "Can you get hard yet?" She slid over to him and saw his penis. She brushed it, feeling it still sticky.

"I think I can. Care to check?" Velvet smiled and lowered her head. She held his dick up and licked it from balls to tip. Then she took just the head into her mouth. She rolled it around with her lips. Shining tensed, feeling the soft warmth of his mother's mouth wrapping around his dick. Pleasure was starting to return, he felt it begin to throb anew. "Oh, Mom," he sighed, brushing her mane gently.

She popped off his cock. "Don't forget, I want you to fuck the shit out of me. Don't stop until you cum in me. Don't be afraid to pin, claw, slap, or force me. I'm a bitch, treat me like one. Make me gag, cry, and squirm."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. And one last thing: I want you to go for broke when you cum. Be loud, hilt deep, tell me I'm getting exactly what I deserve, make some noise... I really do get off on rough sex. Just don't forget to play some with my other parts; I find it really hard to cum just from fucking."

"O-Okay, I can do that."

"One last thing," Velvet interrupted. "I want you to really pin me down when you cum. Don't kiss me -- this is rough and dirty animalistic fucking, pure carnal catharsis. I've needed a merciless rutting for I don't even know how long. Keep going til I can't see straight -- don't stop no matter what I say, fuck me until you can't manage another thrust. Just one thing: don't kiss me, and talk dirty when you cum inside." The other two were staring at her slightly baffled. "You got all that?"

"Yeah, Mom, but just saying hard and merciless would have gotten the message across." She nodded. He grabbed her head and moved her down to his dick. She licked it up and down under his guidance. Her lips kissed at his balls.

"You heard her," Cadance whispered into his ear, "don't spare her some necessary roughness. I'll make sure you don't Sugar Swirl her." She nuzzled him.

He moved from sitting to kneeling and pulled the back of Twilight Velvet's head onto his shaft. She bristled a bit at his forcefulness, but she took his shaft all the way. At first he guided her head up and down, trying to not be too hard on her, only to find the mare speeding up of her own accord. He didn't say anything, instead he seized her horn in his hand and forced her down and held her there. He shuddered at the marvelous sticky warmth of her mouth. She tried to suck and she moved her tongue around his underside and head. Her warm breath came out on his crotch. He moved her off to plunge back into her mouth again. One hand was holding up his balls, the other was back between her legs. He felt her hum and heard the wet sounds coming from her pussy. She gagged a little and tried to get away, but he didn't let her, instead switching from deep and slow to shallow and fast. Shining fucked her face, and soon his cock was hard again. She popped off to breathe. He almost opened his mouth to ask if she was okay when he caught Cadance mouthing silently at him to keep going. And so he plunged again into his mother's mouth. He also saw her leering at her hindquarters hungrily, but paid no mind. His initial apprehension was gone, and he was starting to feel powerful. His fears of going too far absconded into the back of his mind. This was his mare and he was going to fuck her to his satisfaction.

He yanked her off his dick, her panting deeply. With barely a second given for her to catch her breath, he shoved her backwards while using magic to yank her hungry hips closer. He saw an almost Twileyish grin on her luminescent face as she pulled the blanket up with her like a pair of wings that failed to hide anything. Her somewhat bulbous double handful breasts sat high and proud. He edged forward between her spread legs and put his hands on her torso. She was strong, but still soft and becoming ever so slightly doughy despite her trim frame, although the curvacious flare of her hips excited him. She rested a leg on his shoulder and he slid his tip against her pussy lips. They were soaked with both her juices and his emissions. She sat up to get a better look at he poised himself at her slit. "I need you inside me."

Shining Armor leaned forward, entering Twilight Velvet, who gave a happy sigh, her eyes rolling in their sockets. "Certainly."

Shining Armor took several thrusts to get deep while his mother sighed, her heavenly tunnel coiling around him. He did not go fast at first, savoring watching this beautiful mare take his dick with a smile on her face. There was no clenched fist, no mockery in those eyes, just a look of adoration, excitement, and a little bit of lust. He thrust faster into her silky pussy, feeling her surprisingly viscous secretions provide an extra layer of texture.

She was still smiling at him. "Mmm... fuck me."

Cadance laughed and clapped him on the back. "You heard her, Shiny, rut her harder!"

Shining dove atop Velvet to a squeal of her delight. He pushed his way even deeper into her, now hilting inside. Her cunt was soaking and hot. It was intoxicating; he could not resist fucking faster to get more of it, to hear her squeal more. Her breasts bounced as he pounded her and picked up speed. He took one in his hand and squeezed. Then his fingers found the nipple. He leaned down to suck it, getting a resounding squeak from the mare. He felt her pussy grow even wetter, the consistency thinner than before. He swore it was yielding before him, opening up even hotter depths.

Twilight Velvet began moaning out loud as her son fucked her remorselessly. The discomfort she had felt as he had first gone in when she was minimally aroused as gone, replaced by a roaring fire of electric pleasure. He was doing everything right to get her going. And the sensations were multiplying in her chest. He was suckling her as he was pounding her. She felt his hunger for her with a perilous thrill. And now his fingers found her clit. She shook. The little button gave her small jolts of pleasure at first, but it would soon prove overpowering. And with that hard cock of his plunging into her to give some contrast and pressure on the other side, she felt her self-control fading away. He was inside her so very deep. She could feel him throb and surge, first just beyond her lips, and then he would rush to fill her in a swoop of pleasure that made her inhale sharply. Cadance was watching eagerly, not even trying to pretend she wasn't touching herself, even as she fed encouragement into the man's ear. So good. But she wanted him to really take her like a male takes a mate.

She tried to resist him, clawing at his chest far too slowly for him to miss. His hands jolted to catch hers and then she gave a wicked, half mad grin. She rocked her lower body and he pinned her, smiling jaggedly at her like she was prey. The thrill of fear made her heart flutter as she made out this strong stallion's developed young musculature. She felt a rush from the danger; even if she knew this male, she'd inflamed his libido until the lust consumed him -- now she had no choice but to take whatever he wanted to do to her. She must have grown even hotter, because he fought back a gasp in an effort to remain intimidating. She creaked out happily, feeling gratification at how while he was overpowering her, she was going to have the last laugh when he clung to her body and his aggressive grunts were replaced by uncontrolled yells of pleasure.

Velvet fucked back at Shining Armor. Her energy did nothing but excite him. He dug nails into her shoulders and clamped down. He sucked and licked on her breasts, eliciting moans aplenty from her. She was totally under his power and losing the will to resist; she could not have told him to stop even if she wanted him to. She heard the sound of his balls slapping against her ass. Sweat rolled off him and filled the air with that heady, masculine scent.

She tried to writhe free to provoke him again. This time he caught her on the throat but did not clamp down. His free hand found her clit and he flicked it up with his thumb every time he thrusted into her. The sensation of pressure was building for sure. Twilight Velvet couldn't keep her mouth shut, she couldn't stay quiet! She was helpless and so acutely aware of her vulnerability. Her eyes rolled back in her swimming head. She imagined all kinds of things being done to her, and she may even have yelled them aloud. Shining flipping her over, Cadance sitting on her face, being stood up and railed from behind while her breasts jiggled free, being pressed up against the windows and fucked with her body on display, the princess clamping down on her clit with her mouth until she shrieked her voice to a hoarse whisper! All these things and more she wanted! If Night Light were to burst in right now and demand she beg his forgiveness with her body, she would do it -- she would even let him and Shining Armor roughly use her between the two of them as their slave.

This was her heaven -- no decisions to make, no hips to bounce, no encouragement to offer, no appendages to guide -- just let herself be fucked until her brain shorted and her pussy bled.

And despite the violence in her mind, the treatment was loving. Her body felt heavenly. She sighed as she resolved her vision to see Shining Armor still fucking away at her in her second plateau right before orgasm. She was a female and he was a male. Relationships aside, their joining was natural and blissful. She belonged down here under subjugation. She was made for this. That ache from her unsatisfied pussy following his round was long since soothed.

The older mare's body quaked. It felt like air was sucked from her lungs. She knew what was about to come. As if spotting this, Shining feasted at a breast again while his last free hand went to her other, never taking off from her clit, not stopping his rutting of her.

The first wave crashed over her as a bolt of lightning hurled itself up her spine. Her abs jerked and she yelled something. He was yelling something truly awful and oh so hot at her. It could still get better. He didn't let up, and her body didn't stop spasming.

She tried to hug and claw him, but he didn't let her; he was going to have his way with her to his satisfaction, to hell with what the puny mare had to say about it when she was powerless to stop him!  
Her chest because unbearably sensitive, so sensitive it was starting to hurt, but he still didn't stop. No, he was now suckling her teats, nipping at them even. Lights danced across her vision. Her legs clamped around him in a diagonally clenching hug. She was shrieking his name, imploring him to never stop. Her heart felt like it would burst with joy at how she was being attended to and how wanted it made her feel being truly ruthlessly pounded for the first time in years.

The second wave hit her. Noises leapt from her throat, her mouth perpetually open and moaning. She was being fucked faster than ever, thanks to the rushes of heat and fluids in her cunt.

The third wave hit her. Her son's words were growled as if with great effort. She bent her back upwards to put herself even more under him, but her body hardly obeyed her anymore. He'd found one sweet spot and just stuck with it.

The fourth wave hit her. She felt like she was suffocating, dying in storm of orgasms. She felt pain; he had released her breasts to pin her arms by her head. He was grunting and panting. Her pussy tingled with unbearable sensitivity. She felt like something was swelling up inside her. She noticed that his balls no longer slapped against her ass; that meant they were drawn up close to her body for-

"Take it all, Velvet, you fucking bitch! You whore! You're mine!" And like that, the fifth wave hit her as she felt the subtle twitching of her son's cock deep inside her, filling her once more with his cum.

She was getting it. Her punishment, that last test of him. What would she see when the lust faded?

Carnal ecstasy washed over her as he rutted her even through his climax, fucking her in and out balls deep time after time, even while pump after pump of cum flooded into her pussy. She screeched at him to cum inside her, to dominate her, to subjugate her body, to take his prize. They were beasts in heat. She looked up, satisfied to see him growling, despite how she was making him moan and shake. The warmth and pressure blanked her mind as she locked eyes with him once more after a passing glance at a blushing Cadance. The entire world was wiped from her awareness as white light bloomed across her vision, obscuring all but her son's face, her ears hearing nothing but how he berated her, calling her Velvet, his whore, and his mother, and the apoplectic pleasure radiating from her loins on the surface and deep inside as she still thrashed about, screaming for Shining Armor to fill her, make her his mare.

He grew slower and quieter, but never let up fucking her like an animal, until at last with a happy moan, his cock limply slipped from her pussy and he collapsed sideways.

Twilight Radiance Velvet lay in an erotic torpor too happy and senseless to move.

Shining Armor found himself staring at his almost unconscious mother, red marks adorning her neck, arms, shoulders, and chest, yet her face was covered in the widest most beatific smile he'd ever seen on anyone. Her eyes were barely open. He smiled at her. She gave a dazed wave and he pulled himself to her. They kissed and embraced. They stank, they were filthy, they were rank with sin, and they were besides themselves with joy and relief.

She saw her son. And just her son.

Cadance was sitting with her legs spread, hand between them with glistening fingers and a massive blush on her face, her chest rising and falling odds rapidly. She giggled softly over the stillness, "Shit, that was hot to see, but you guys smell it."

The two sniffed themselves and grimaced. "You don't say," Velvet smirked. "Let's get washed off."

Shining muttered, "You go do that, I'll just rest first."

Velvet snapped her fingers. "Now, young man, before the smell of musk seeps into everything." She magicked him to his feet in a huff.

"Mom!" He glowered indignantly at the laughing women as they jumped off the bed and strode down the hall to the bathroom with the princess in tow and all three of them still nude. They stepped into the tile bathroom and its very spacious shower, the curtain having been left pulled aside. Shining pulled the knob to start the water, shrinking at the blast of cold, trying to tough it out to find a warm position.

"Cadance, you haven't done anything; you don't need to shower," Velvet said, opening a small closet to get an extra towel for their extra guest.

The mare hugged herself. "Just because I didn't does mean..."

Velvet's brain skipped a cycle. A look leapt over the unicorn's face. "You touched yourself to what Shining and I were doing?"

Cadance nodded. "I couldn't help it, okay," she confessed with a nervous shudder. "I didn't mean to, but first I was clothed, but then I was right there naked with you two, and watching how you first made love and then went ballistic for each other, I got way more turned on than I was expecting. Next thing I knew, I was rubbing myself like trying to get out a stain, and I just couldn't stop."

Twilight Velvet stepped closer, her body almost touching Cadance's. She chuckled and put an arm comfortingly around the princess's lower back. "Don't worry about it, it's kinda our fault inviting you up with us, asking you to get naked, watch at point blank range... Thanks for not interrupting.”

"I never would have dreamed of getting in your way," Cadance responded with a smile.

Velvet drew a half step nearer. "So, Cadance, if you don't mind me asking, a certain liason aside that did not verifiably happen, how's your love life been? Are you getting enough?"

Cadance said, "I'm a princess, it really isn't prope-"

"Knock it off; you've been naked alone with my gestalt, felt up my gestalt, watched it and my son have sex, banged my son, watched my son and I fuck twice just now, and you rubbed yourself off to it -- I think you're beyond propriety and protocol with us by now, don't you agree?"

Cadance tensed up and then sighed slowly, visibly deflating. "Fine, terribly. I really hardly get to ever have sex."

"That's what I needed to hear." A smile grew across Velvet's face. "Y'know... you know, now that you've helped us with our things, we still have some time with the house all to ourselves..." Her hand brushed Cadance's hip." She looked the alicorn in the eyes and licked her lips slowly.

The knowing man called out, "It's ready!"

"What do you say, Cady, mind if we help you now you've helped us?"

"When you say we, what are you saying?" She blushed visibly.

"Both of us if you'll have me, too. I've been a bitch all summer and a tease since Manehattan. Let me make it up to you."

Princess Cadance contemplated, her eyes going between two two unicorns. "Well... I kinda have been wound up ever since seeing you as Velour, and I've been kinda expecting this ever since your intervention. Fuck it, I've done everything but fuck you. It wouldn't be at all unwelcome. But how? Would he go for it, even?" Her eyes drifted from Velvet's chest, then to her hips, and then gazed over at Shining as he stood sleek and wet in the shower, his pride and joy exposed for all to see.

Velvet momentarily squeezed the pert pink ass. "Just watch."

She stepped into the large tub casually, getting herself under the steaming stream of water. She at first simply soaked, sighing out happily as the sweat and grime were swept away by the warm water and soothing steam. Shining just let her be there with him, nude as could be in close proximity. She shoved her face into the blast from the head and hogged it for herself briefly, getting a scowl from her son. Cadance watched the two of them just bathing together. They were not even making much contact, happier instead to coexist than be all over each other as they focused on getting the musk and secretions of mere minutes prior off of them. Twilight levitated a brush to herself and began scrubbing methodically. She started with her mane, then to her neck, then to her arms, then to her back and front.

While she did this, Shining was lathering soap in his hands. He preferred to do things manually instead of with magic. He built up suds and then applied them starting at his legs and working up, regaining a lather every time his hands ran low. Now he shoved Velvet out of the way to rinse off his body.

"The nerve, young man," she huffed.

"Turnabout is fair play," he puffed.

"So you say as you hog all the water with your big hulking body, not sparing a drop for your petite little ma."

"You did it first."

Velvet laughed and grinned. "Well, I am a lady, and it's ladies first. Speaking of ladies first..." She turned to face out of the shower. "Cadance, don't just stand there, join us." Cadance saw a floating light hovering on the far side of Shining but kept out of his sight. She nearly swaggered with a spring in her step into the fray.

"You don't mind, do you?" Cady asked him, peering down at he who stood level with her shoulder, getting a damn fine look at his muscled body and his now clean penis hanging there temptingly. She cursed her height for putting it out of reach.

Shining was flustered. "N-not at all."

"Good. It'd be really weird if you were still all awkward with me after everything. I mean, I've seen you cum balls deep inside your mom what, three times now? We're way beyond being awkward, don't you think?"

He looked up at her. She was getting a glint in her eye; he realized he was very much exposed. "Well, when you put it that way. It's just this is all rather cramped, don't you think?"

Cadance play pouted, "Awwww, I was liking being close to you. Don't you like being close to me?" She hugged him to her sculpted chest.

Shining almost jumped as a hand touched him between the legs. "Speaking of close things, how about you help Cadance get clean, dear?" The bar of soap was hovering in a magic field inches from his face.

With nowhere else to go and Cadance not releasing him from the hug, he began soaping the alicorn's back. He felt her muscles, her finely tuned form that bespoke the corded muscles and delicate bones of her pegasus heritage. He did his best to reach as high up as he could and even get her sides. He managed to get her shoulder blades and even the back of her neck and collar. Cadance shivered and giggled a little as he did. He felt her warmth and softness, both of those things amplified by the steaming shower they were taking. He was close to Cadance, very close. He could even faintly identify her heartbeat through her chest. And as he began to take his hands lower, he noticed it accelerate and her breathing spike.

The mare behind him caressed his length, teasing some sensitivity back into it, but not enough to make him properly hard. "Enjoying this, aren't you, Shining?" Twilight whispered in his ear. She kissed his neck thrice. He got a whiff of the two mares' combined scents. Here he was in a shower with his mother and a princess trying to get clean right after a crazy roll in the hay, and here they were trying to get him dirty again! It just wasn't fair! But if they wanted to play dirty... He pulled his head far back just enough to kiss a teat. A hand pressed from behind to trap him there. He felt a brush scrub away at his back.

He brought his hand lower down, passing the small of the back and right to Cadance's ass. Without even the least pretense of hygenic intent, he just clapped down on a cheek with a smack. The cheek and the whole princess quivered. He suckled on her nipple, but with the water coming down, he couldn't breathe through his nose, and so he released it with a gasp, only to have his breath taken away immediately by a looming figure lean down to hiss him full on the mouth and invade him with her tongue.

She was rubbing her cleft against his body. He struck her ass again. She let him come up for air and he panted for a few seconds, only for his head to be suddenly turned around to be kissed deeply again, this time with more suction and less tongue.

"Shiny, you're making a filly blush."

"And a colt blush," Shining said as he seized her tiny ass with both hands and squeezed. He was feeling the heat rise up in his chest while the mares toyed with him. This definitely was no accidental gropefest. He whispered up at her, "Since you're feeling amorous, Cadance, wanna go air off with me on something roomier than a towel?"

"I'd love to, but..."

"BUTT what?" Shining teased, sliding his fingers around under her ass and nearing her pussy.

"Well, I um, I would not mind if your maybe mom joined us, too..."

Shining broke off the hug, dropping the soap with a clatter. He turned around, finding Velvet's eyes instantly. "Mom, are you hearing this?"

"I am." Velvet laughed. "All this excitement has been too much for our pink pony princess and she's all hot and bothered from watching us. It would me a lot to her if she could do more than just watch."

Shining shook his head. "Why? Does she need to get even more hands on with us? Is this even allowed?"

"No no no, nothing like that," Cadance chuckled, "you're pretty much done with all that unless you want to do a talk session later; I just got like crazy turned on watching you two do it. First you were so gentle, and while that got me going, holy shit, dear Celestia, watching you rut her into an incoherent mass of pleasured jelly was so fucking hot." She blushed and broke eye contact. "I... I touched myself while you were doing it. I should have controlled myself better. Sorry..." Cadance admitted sheepishly. "One moment, I was observing you therapeutically. The next, it was like my body caught fire... I found my hand between my legs and I just couldn't stop myself. And Velvet's mouth looked so inviting, I just wanted to, well um sit on it and join you in ravishing her. But before I could even attempt to figure out how to join in, you were too wrapped up in each other, and then you came. It was just so fast."

"Shiiiit," Shining sighed, "there was almost a double team there for a second. While it would have been hot, thanks for letting us do what we needed one on one."

"I'm sorry I lost control," Cadance apologized again, dropping the playful tone. “I really didn't mean to.”

Shining laughed nervously as he scratched the back of his neck. "Wellll, to be fair, if I were you, I'd've gotten turned on, too."

"Mind if I tell you something else?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"I'm undersexed as hell -- Princess of Love can barely get herself some lovin."

"Really?" Shining asked, looking up into her eyes even as he brought a hand to her chest.

"Sad but true," said Cadance.

"But our adventures this summer have been full of sex. And don't you deal with intimate stuff a lot?"

She pulled his chin up to lock eyes. "Not usually like this. Your adventures were sexed up to high heaven. I've been laid hardly at all this year, and that was with you. I didn't have the escort date to the water park, I didn't have bedroom activities with a revolving door of bodies, I haven't been fucking my family members, I haven't spent the past month having a free for all. For Celestia's sake, everyone except me got laid in Manehattan. But me, all I got was box lock seeing you with Velour, getting hit on by Velour in the sauna, and then making out with you on the train. I'm sorry, but the lack of sex I get to have while seeing and hearing everyone else's escapades is driving me slightly crazy."

Shining took a solid five seconds to process this. He open his mouth to say something.

However, his theoretical platitudes died in his throat, as before he could say anything, Cadance had been pulled sharply downward to the side, her lips locked to Twilight Velvet's, one silver hand curled around her ass, the other clasping both Shining's hand and a tit, squeezing hard. For many seconds was Twilight kissing Cadance fiercely, the unicorn's eyes closed and mouth moaning while Cadance's were wide open in shock but not daring to break away or fight back. Shining felt Cadance do something akin to melting, relaxing even as she returned the kiss harder, bearing down on the little woman. Cadance broke for air and then dove onto his mouth, grabbing his dick and pumping it in her hand. He touched her vulva, his fingers making her twitch as a tip found her clit, others rubbing further along. She ground her hips onto his hand and he pulled her deeper into his kiss.

Twilight Velvet pulled on their arms. "Let's go to bed."


	16. Satisfaction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It all cums together!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uploaded for Mothers Day 2020.

Nobody disagreed. They practically couldn't get out of the shower fast enough, stumbling over and groping at each other in an eager mass to get somewhere more fun. As Shining tried to towel off, Cadance simply ignited her horn and vaporized the water away with a pulse of pale fire that made Shining tingle on every inch of skin. The two young ones kissed and groped ferociously as the oldest led them back to the big bed, stealing several grasps and kisses along the way.

This was happening. It was surreal.

As Shining sat on the edge of the bed, he was straddled by Cadance, who on account of being much taller than him, was not exactly within kissing range. His kissed her taut stomach. It was like worship of a living idol. He carpeted it in kisses while Cadance giggled and tousled his hair. He clutched at her butt and kissed some more on her belly. With an annoyed hiss, she pressed down on his shoulders. He got the message, and so he trailed kisses down from her navel, over her abs, across her hips, and down to her clit. His princess mewled as he took her clit between his lips and rolled it with his tongue. He took his hand and brought it back to her front and entered her with one finger. Her pussy was only slightly damp on the inside, but with each action of his mouth, she was growing wetter. He brushed over a rougher spot inside her and she squirmed. He added a second finger when he felt her slime coat the first one, and then he moved faster to a happy cry from above him. She shoved her face into her slit with some authority, demanding her pleasure from him, cursing and groaning.

Just as Shining was starting to wonder what Velvet was doing while he was preoccupied, he felt something wet and soft slip over his dick and then suckle. His free hand went down to pet the devious woman's head and push her faster. To his dismay, she got off the shaft and instead kissed his swollen balls. The lack of attention to his rod made it feel painful, almost itchy, as if it just needed to be touched or he would go mad. Velvet must have known this as she instead sucked on his balls, popping half of his sack into her mouth and gently caressing with her tongue in a pattern of delicate kisses before moving onto the other side, never letting his shaft have the satisfaction regardless of how it throbbed.

Atop her mount, pressure was building in Cadance's body. She felt almost as if her intestines were coiling around something invisible into a multiple of knots. Shining had added a third finger to his play and he was taking teasing laps to her clit. Velvet had to be blowing him; she felt the bobbing mane between her thighs. "Shiny, yes!" she cheered and humped at his face. Dear Celestia, this was sinful. And it was so hot. She trembled from deep within and cried out. She magically reached out with her horn. She found Velvet, and more importantly, where the mare's hips were. She sent a sprite of magic to touch her down there as she had with the lubricant earlier.

Shining's dick stood bent. He groaned in frustration, letting himself breathe. He heard Velvet giggle and finally lick from base to tip with the lightest pressure, but to him so sensitive, it was like an electric current buzzed up the underside of his cock. He shoved his hips to provoke her, and she did, engulfing him wholly again. His eyes shot open and he yanked on her head. Sensitive! She just chuckled and went back to work, not letting him escape as he struggled to catch his breath. He felt his dick surge larger seemingly instantly, and soon it went from teasing a coiled length to taking on his whole shaft. The pleasure rapidly grew. His balls were tightening. Fine tingles were lining his shaft, and his head was growing unbearably sensitive. A swish of tongue around his tip with a kiss and he felt his head swim. He clenched his mom's head, not able to stop himself from indulging, not able to let her stop before she sent him over the edge.

Cadance trembled. It was like the fire inside her was not only back, but also on her skin. She was panting now, hugging around Shining's neck for support. The sensations from her clit were threatening to overwhelm her. The built up pressure of the day was boiling to the surface. She couldn't stop herself! She rocked in motion with those three fingers inside her as they fucked her and played away at that one sensitive spot. She couldn't escape those lush lips or that darting tongue that just gave her more passion with very stroke. Her breath was running away. She didn't know what to do, and suddenly her whole body wrenched before she could cry out. She came with a scream that pierced ears. Her tormentor lapped away, never shirking, never stopping, no matter how she shook, or how she swore, or how she shoved his face into her. She felt him too stiffen. She spread her wings to steady herself against the wild electricity coursing through her body.

Shining focused on the alicorn, making her writhe best he could, but as her scream came loud and clear, he felt his cock grow the hardest it had ever been. Cadance clung to him and threatened to drown him between her legs as she shook in bliss. He kissed at her clit, sucking madly as his own pleasure reached critical mass. He tried to contain his groan as he felt his dick leap in his mom's mouth. Her suction increased and she took him all the way, even into her hot, slick throat. Hilted in her gullet, he fired shot after shot into his mom's face as she swallowed him completely. He shoved her head down, clenching on instinct to force her to take it all anyway. She clamped his hands away with magic suddenly, and without warning, started bobbing her head up and down as fast as she could. He screamed with delight into Cadance's pussy, still trying to give her more pleasure to match his own. Velvet suddenly squirmed and sputtered, popping off his twitching dick and coughing in the waning spurts of his climax. Shining flopped backwards and Cadance took care to not land on him. They exchanged goofy grins.

"How was that, Shining?" They both looked up at the nude mare standing before them.

"Holy shit, Mom, that was great, but please warn me before you give me a heart attack."

"It's all over you!" Cadance laughed, pointing out strands of cum on Velvet's face, shoulders, breasts, and mane.

"I guess you're my favorite painted lady now," he joked.

"Yeah yeah, laugh it up, you two," growled Velvet, "honestly, neglecting the pleasure of an older mare, half drowning her, and laughing at the mess -- how thoughtless of you."

Shining just looked at her. Cadance apologized, "Sorry, Velvet."

Velvet's deep scowl cracked. She stepped closer to the bed and planted her hands on the mattress with some authority. She glared at them. Then her frown cracked into a smile, her eyebrows lifted, and she found herself laughing raucously, joined by her partners. "As if I'd be anything but flattered about earning a load like that!" She hopped down towards the foot of the bed, landing with her legs spread. "We're just getting started. C'mon, the least you can do is clean me off and pay me back," she said as she circled her open lips with her tongue, pointing at Cadance, then gesturing to her body.

The alicorn got the message and crawled to the unicorn. Cadance started by licking Velvet's breasts. She tasted remnants of the soap, mostly layered over by the splashes of cum. Shining had produced perfectly prodigiously. She avoided Twilight's nipples at first, instead licking where the cum had splashed, lapping up the viscous fluid. Velvet brushed the back of her head, gently directing her where to go. She rose up to the shoulders and then to the face. A lick on the chin, then the cheek. Then there was some on Twilight's lips. Cadance hesitated a second, then she licked once. There was some still left. She realized that getting off would demand a little more effort. She hesitated. She realized she hadn't kissed Velvet before -- not in the sauna with Velour, not when she had been flirted with two visits ago right after the intervention, not even while watching her and Shining go at it, not even while the seduction was being played in the shower. To kiss her now would be something different, something more than the touches Velvet had given her, and definitely not something strictly necessary for the act. It would be her moving on Velvet, the mother of the guy she wanted, and swapping intimacy with another mare, one whose husband she had befriended, whose son she had bedded, and whose daughter she had babysat. It'd be her returning the overtures at long last. If she did this, she could not deny the implicit admission of affection and attraction anymore -- no more pretenses of professionalism or even just basic libido -- this would be for pleasure for her without pretense, an admission of sexual combustibility.

Cadance puckered her lips softly and pecked Velvet gently on hers. It was enjoyable. She felt the softness and warmth, she tasted the delicate flavor and smelt the mild aroma of a mare. She tasted little of the cum, but felt it now cling to her own lips.

Twilight Velvet looked her in the eye, a curious whirring going on behind them. Seconds passed by as something clicked in the alicorn's brain. She found herself pushed back into the mattress. Princess Cadance kissed her greedily.

Cadance had realized that though she did enjoy looking at Velvet and liked her, that kissing her didn't quite ignite anything special within her, apart from a bit of lust and a desire to kiss more. She turned her head and applied her tongue to slurping the stray semen from Velvet's face.

Shining watched as Cadance and Twilight began to make out with growing passion, their original errand seemingly forgotten. They made out, with Cadance sloppily kissing all over Velvet's mouth and face. With the pink one off to the left on all fours, and the silver one's legs spreading, he could see both their pussies plain before him, both of them pink and aroused, red and pouting with just a little sheen to reveal it to the eye. He watched transfixed as the two feminine bodies before him wrestled and enjoyed. He watched Cadance's deft hands and nimble fingers danced across Twilight Velvet's body. A brush on the shoulder was followed by a squeeze on a breast returned to the antagonist, who repaid it in hooking under the other's body to pull her back in for another deep kiss.

His mother was beginning to squirm, her feet slipping across the smooth sheets. There was her pussy, totally exposed and pitifully ignored, and her breasts heaving. That romantic part of his mind who desired to see and touch his mate yearned to take its place between those thighs, inside that slit, cupping those breasts, and kissing that face. Cadance's beckoned to him, too, her back arched unintentionally into a lordosis posture -- face down, ass up. It spoke to that basal part of his mind, of when his quadrupedal ancestors roamed the plains, and stallions took mares from behind rough and raw.

He moved forwards, kneeling as he raised both hands. One found Cadance and one found Velvet. He massaged, noticing an immediate reaction from both ladies. Cadance stuck her ass back harder at him, and Twilight's thighs fully flew open. Both granted him access. He grinned as he teased around the lips and openings, occasionally brushing by their clits but never giving them that satisfaction. He pressed into them, both of them definitely wet and aroused as his fingers slid in with only modest effort. He could smell their arousal. More feminine noises came to his ears.

Velvet looked up at him. "That's nice. And, Cadance, I don't recall telling you to stop cleaning."

Cadance stood off the bed and bent over, taking advantage of her great height and proportions to poise over Velvet like a crane, touching her all over with her hands even as her mouth continued its hungry work. She was slurping up Shining's mess with relish. Once again her hands came to tender teats, thus she massaged them. Her fingers played on erect nipple that made Velvet's toes curl in response. She looked over and saw Shining with one hand three fingers deep inside while the other played with Twilight's clit. He dove down to kiss at her breasts and mouth, not forgetting to plant some on her throat with just a little bit of bite.

Twilight Velvet rested her head back and looked at the ceiling. This was feeling great, being carpeted in kisses by one mouth while another bobbed between her breasts and mouth, even giving her aggressive hickies that stung delightfully. One pair of hands ran all over her, tickling, teasing, touch, caressing while another pair was thoroughly occupied with sending pleasurable feelings radiating from between her legs.

The pleasure grew and grew. The fact that she had already cum many times earlier that day didn't matter as she was beset by touch from double the number of places than usual. Shining's three fingers in a row turned to four as he arranged them into a drill. The filling sensation was terrific as he fucked her with his hand, causing her to cry out. He was touching her deep enough to stimulate her in spots often missed, and as he curled up his fingers towards her front wall, her entire body shook and she let out an involuntary gasp. He again touched her sensitive spot, sending sprites of electricity dancing up her spine. She felt the pressure in her belly and a kind of hotness in her lips.

Twilight moaned, only to have Cadance catch her open mouth with a kiss. The alicorn's eyes were closed in bliss, and she shut hers too, savoring the other mare's flavor by teasing at her teeth with her tongue. Cadance sent hers out, but she trapped and pinned it, and then closed her mouth to kiss the thing before sucking on her top lip while Cadance now tried to tease her lips open. She hugged Cadance close, hearing her steps stumble and feeling the mattress dip as she pulled the princess atop herself. She kissed up with a passion, and Cadance replied with an equal fervor, yet not quite able to outwit her clever mouth.

Cadance suddenly pulled herself off Twilight's mouth. Twilight didn't see it coming, but she felt one mouth on her breast. Cadance planted her lips right over the sensitive nipple a split second before she could think of what to do next.

Pleasure raced through her, the pressure feeling like it was beginning to boil. She'd been cleaned well in an intoxicating carpet of kisses including a stellar makeout while hands lower down touched her pussy and clit, and the rest wandered all over to elicit delight where they could. Spots of light played on the insides of her eyelids. She opened them and looked down. The sight of two ponies serving her ferociously added to the intensity, as now she could watch as well as feel. A gorgeous alicorn face served one breast with a look of zen upon it while a unicorn face suckled away hungrily and with a blazing blush. Shining met her eyes. She smiled dumbly and stroked his hair. "Don't stop. Finger harder."

More pressure and speed immediately went down below, hitting her with a new wave of joyous sensations. She realized she was panting, her breath turning ragged. She moaned. "Shiny! Cady! Yes!" Cadance redoubled her efforts upon her breast while her boy played madly between her legs. They broke to kiss each other furious and open-mouthed Velvet pulled her leg to her chest and then extended it to rest over Shining's shoulder, giving him better, deeper access.

It was about to happen. A wordless moan of pleasure leapt from her. So close! "Faster! Clit! Shining! Cadance! More! Tongue! Less! Suck!" They complied, turning the mare almost limp. Her thighs thrummed. From deep within her came a torrent of sparks. Her insides churned. She gasped, "I-I'm cumming!"

Pleasure ripped through her like a gale! "I'm cumming! Shiny! Cadance! Yes!Yes!Yes!Yes! YYYESSS!!" Her body rocked and her insides clenched, but they didn't stop. Their tongues danced across her breasts, sending dancing burst of delight into her frantically fluttering heart. She screamed out loud in her frenzy. Her eyes fluttered open and shut -- try as she might, she couldn't hold still enough to watch what they were doing to her. Fingers found a sensitive spot in her vagina and brushed it time and again. Another hand toyed rapidly with her throbbing clit, right at the center of her pleasure which grew so intense it was nearly unbearable. Her arms grabbed her lovers and she held on for dear life. Twilight Velvet could hardly breathe for all the heavenly feeling exploding from all over her. She lurched and strained completely out of control, her thoughts gone and the world blown away in her throes of ecstasy. "Cadance! Shining! Oh! WoooWWWWW!!" Fingers jabbed as deep as possible into her, giving a feeling that made her suck in breath and release a shrill peal as she struggled to pull it even deeper yet again. Her body wrapped closed as her logic was lost in the unbearable feelings.

Twilight just barely got her wits back to press Shining's hands yet deeper into her. Her horn flared and she yanked him and Cadance free from hear breasts, lustily kissing them shakily together as they kissed her and each other. She screamed her joy into both their mouths and they moaned back into hers as they sucked her lips and massaged her tongue as her body's thrashing slowed gradually to a jerky crawl. Then at last Velvet released Shining from her leg and let herself melt onto the bed, releasing her magic hold on them.

Shining Armor beamed down at her smugly. "How was that?"

"Do you- do y- d-d-d-do- do you even have to ask?" Velvet clattered.

Shining just smiled and kissed her. He tried moving his fingers and heard them squelch as they shifted their thick coating of pussy slime. "Fucking hell, you got soaked."

"S-s-so I-I d-di-did," Velvet shuddered.

"Are you okay," asked Cadance? She and Shining swapped concerned looks.

"Su-sure am, I get jittery after a really good round. Heart's goin over nine thousand beats a minute, feel hotter than hell, and I can't catch my breath. Gimme a sec." And so they waited for many minutes, sitting by her side as the sweaty mare's spent body gradually calmed down. "So much for showering."

The other two laughed. "Let's go back to that water park and swim it off in that lazy river."

"And drown your mother in her helpless state?"

"Well, of all the other epithets after motherfucker, wouldn't ladykiller be a good one?'

"Shining...!" Cadance gagged while Velvet belly laughed.

Velvet said, "Don't kill me before we're done with you."

"Aren't I already? I came twice before we even started this, and then you sucked my balls empty, and now you're saying there's more? Can't we just double team finger bang Cadance or something? I think my dick needs a vacation."

Velvet said, "You're a strong young guy with plenty of testosterone and two beautiful females all over you -- you can go again, can't you?" She propped herself up and grabbed Shining's limp dick. "Not hard? After two pussies in your face and making me scream like that?"

"I'm not a machine who can just get boners on command and always be ready to go whenever with no stimulation," Shining said, looking over to Cadance for backup. She nodded her head.

Cadance rolled around onto her belly, her head near Shining's lap, her compact ass past Velvet and long legs hanging off the bed. She turned her neck around and said to Velvet, "I haven't been fucked yet -- all I've gotten to do is watch you guys bang and get eaten out a little. Where's my dick? I wanna fuck!"

"You get him hard and he's all yours."

"Deal," agreed Cadance. Shining saw the glint in her eye as she licked her lips while gazingly longingly at his body. "You said without stimulation, right?"

His heart trembled slightly behind his sternum. The angelically beautiful face was taking on a devilish aspect. "Yeah..."

"I'll just have to stimulate you..." With that, Cadance propped up onto her arms and magicked Shining's length up, dropping her mouth onto it to engulf him in one swoop.

"Cadance, I don't know if I can even get hard again."

"Relax, if this doesn't work, there's always magic if it comes to that."

"She's got the right idea," laughed Twilight Velvet while she watched the young princess nod her head up and down the teenager's cock.

Cadance hummed excitedly and ran her tongue beneath his dick. Its lick applied nice pressure that made him feel some blood surge. Cadance popped off with a wet smack and started running her tongue all over the shaft, ascending and descending row by row to lick every inch of Shining's hardening dick. She took the head between her lips and sucked hard. Shining tensed up as the first sparks of pleasure made themselves known.

Cadance twisted her head to throw a stray hair out of her eyes. Velvet came forwards, still unsteady, and tucked it back behind the princess's ear. She clapped a hand onto the pink ass, pressing the alicorn to go faster at the same time as she worked her fingers towards the princess's pussy. Twilight caressed the outer lips with care, going around them first before teasing the clit and inner lips. Cadance gave an approving hum, sticking out her ass for easier access.

Shining could hardly believe his eyes. His mom was playing with Cadance while she sucked his dick. He heard fingers sliding around a wet pussy, and Cadance's tongue twitched in a way that definitely wasn't quite so deliberate. He felt his dick growing more and more, almost to his disbelief. Cadance's hot mouth was simply incredible. It was soft, it was wet, it was hot, it had suction, and it could even vary sensation with absolute precision. The beautiful mare could gauge his every reaction and knew just how to make him squirm. She engulfed him all the way in her mouth, ensconcing him in the humid warmth while teasing him with a flat lick across his entire underside and powerful suction on the sensitive head. She met his eyes, her showing him delight. He grabbed her cheeek and pushed her off, then guided her back on just the way he liked.

His mare fought to stay focused and steady, even as the pace of the noises from behind her hastened. Twilight's fingering won out over Cadance's dedication, and the mare broke her clamp on the stallion to moan quietly. As if to make up for the distraction, she quickened her efforts. She broke off to get air and pepper the top half of his shaft with sloppy kisses laden with tongue. Shining armor reached down and grabbed her breast, squeezing the soft orb in his hand. Just as he did this, Twilight moved her face behind Cadance's ass.

The effect was immediate, with the mare practically seizing with a repressed grunt as Shining heard the popping smack of lips targeting what must have been Cadance's clit from her reactions. She clung to his shins and did her best to ignore the games being played on her.

This only encouraged Twilight, who kissed and licked at Cadance's pussy passionately. Shining heard the erotic sounds of lips and juices, and when his mother came up for air, he saw her face slick with them. Cadance trembled with a mouth full of him. He was still only partially hard but growing steadily. Already she could press more on him without worrying about deflating. She ground her plush lips around his base and then pulled off, dragging them along with glorious pressure of her softness that made him tingle. He pressed his thumb to her nipple and met her eyes. She nodded and made a pleasant sound.

He felt Cadance's hot breath come more and more in pants and starts. Distant as his orgasm was, this was heavenly. Cadance's mouth was so hot and wet, and her tongue provided glorious friction all over him, from light brushes that left a longing on his skin, to heavy licks that electrified him. Time and again she engulfed him all the way to his base with her hot mouth, almost as if fucking him with her face. And she loved applying suction in the form of light kisses all over from his balls to tip, to sometimes clamping down and providing him with a curious feeling that still made his heart skip a beat. She kept eye contact and made a constant stream of noises for him, telling him that she wanted to take care of him with her mouth, that she wanted to make him feel good until he gave her a drink of his cum.

Her ministrations were getting faster and less composed. She was losing the battle for her body. He saw it in her eyes, the almost pleading look for him, the deep scarlet blush that only deepened as Velvet licked and sucked at her pussy, the way she smiled at his toying with her breasts.

The smell of mare was thick in the air. Cadance's sculpted rear was shaking madly. Her ribs trembled. She hurled her arms around him to lock his cock deep inside her mouth.

Suddenly, she gave a squeal and shuddered. Cadance's entire body shook and she lurched forward, licking at him like mad, sucking as hard as she could in between mad squeaks and gaps for air. Shining met his Mom's eyes and their wicked smile. Cadance was cumming while sucking him off! In that moment she would have done anything for him to join her in release. She sucked him fast and wet, sucking hard on his entire shaft, pressing all around with her tongue, making a silky mat with her lips. It felt amazing and made him hiss with pleasure. The sheer mental arousal could have made him blow his load right then if he hadn't been so thoroughly seen to earlier. Her shudders reached a fever pitch and she took him in all the way and held him there while she thrashed her ass futilely.

Her body calmed and then fell limp. She curled up around him, feeling very warm and soft, popping off his hard dick to catch her breath. It hung in the cold air, but only for a second before Cadance's horn lit up and she rubbed his shaft with her magic. A band of pressure hotter than any mouth and tighter than any hand worked its way from tip to base and back again with a crackling tingle that made Shining's hair stand on end in a good way. It was like raw electricity caressed him with loving care. Cadance fought to breathe through her enormous smile. Shining hugged her shoulder. "Enjoy getting yours, Princess?"

"Not what I was expecting," Cadance admitted.

Twilight Velvet petted her head. "More still to cum." She gave a meaningful glance at the young man. Her fingers fondled his cock. "Not bad, Cady, but he's not quite ready yet. Won't you help?" She pushed him back into a recumbent pose. "Just relax and enjoy while mommy and her friend take good care of you."

The magic stopped as two pairs of lips fell upon his dick, one tending to the shaft and the other to the head. Cadance was working lower down while his mother handled the top. Just one girl on his shaft was amazing, but this was almost beyond words. It was like his cock was simply utterly embraced by writhing, soft, wet warmth. With two girls on him, there was no room for any cold or neglect to slip past them. His entire dick felt just covered by warm. Cadance's kisses and licks on his balls electrified his skin for Velvet's heavy suction to make his eyes roll back in his head. "Mom..."

He gasped and moaned, stroking the two mares as they pleasured him. His hands found a breast of each and began toying with them to show his appreciation. He fondled Cadance's much smaller mound and could easily enclose the whole thing in his hand. Velvet's was much larger -- even stretching with his fingers barely made it controllable, and when he squeezed hard on the softness, he felt the less yielding squish of the implant underneath. She grunted with discomfort and he stopped clamping so hard, enjoying it more gingerly, to a happy hum from her with no diminished enjoyment of the breast on his part.

Now his dick was getting really hard. It stood up defiantly, forcing his lovers to climb ever higher to service him. He felt some satisfaction seeing Velvet having to use her back to bob all the way down.

Cadance and Velvet kissed as their mouths met on his length. Their quarreling lips and tongues dueled over to his tip and simultaneously blew it as they kissed each other. They struggled against each other, fighting for control of his cock. Their slick mouths slid up and down the sides with an electric sensation in between their owners' clashing tongues. Shining definitely was feeling pleasure now. "Wow..."

The two mares blew him together. Two soft mouths, pillowy sets of lips, teasing tongues, and humid breaths ran up and down his shaft. Cadance was just so beautiful he couldn't believe she was there in the flesh and sucking his sick. And there was Velvet, crouched over with her lips just grazing his tip. She took in the top quarter a second later and sucked firmly on it, getting a happy sound from him. They weren't fast -- Velvet was setting the pace and she was taking her time, letting him luxuriate in the pleasure like how they had just let her enjoy at ease.

She was beautiful like this. Her white and purple mane was hardly in its stripes, but he could see enough of her face to know her expression would be soft and gentle. She was caring for him here. It was a brief flash of thought for him to realize that he was completely at her mercy here with his genitals adjacent to her jaws. She could hurt him badly on a whim if she wanted to, but she wouldn't, and he trusted her. He trusted her enough to let her work and take her time pleasing him. Mommy was taking care of her little boy, just in a more grown up way. He brushed the hairs from her face, and sure enough there was that gentle expression without a trace of hostility or tension. As she moved up and down his shaft, she completely engrossed himself in his pleasure, doing something entirely for his benefit.

Their eyes met. He had feared meeting them and seeing her hateful rage like the night he had fled, or mocking disgust like the night before when the truth came out and they had sex undisguised for the first time, but instead they were just filled with patient love. A soft humming was coming from her lips.

"Mom..." He stroked her face at first with one hand but then with both, petting down her neck and to her back. He wasn't guiding her, just letting her know her affections were appreciated. Cadance disengaged quietly from his lower shaft, resting her chin on her hand and watching quietly like a cat.

It was just mother and son.

The pleasure grew steadily. Shining did not know how long it took, but it was certainly a long time he sat there while his mother tended to him with utter devotion. He felt safe with her. He felt a sort of unshakable trust in that woman at that very moment that she would always be there for him and would never hurt him. "Mom..." Shining sighed softer than wool, laying flat back down and closing his eyes, even taking his hands off her. He was completely vulnerable now, totally at her mercy. No pain or rebuke came, only more steady pleasure given willingly, freely from her to him. He floated in darkness, focusing entirely on what his mom was doing between his legs. She blew him superbly, without even a hint of teeth.  
He felt his balls gradually begin to tighten. "Mom...!" Shining Armor hissed with the faintest warning of tension. His cock was feeling almost like it was going to explode. Every loving lick and kind kiss on him felt fantastic.

The pleasure was close to unbearable. He wondered if he should tell her to get off, that he was going to cum unless she stopped. No, he didn't have to tell her, she could tell just by how he called her name, if not by how his familiar body was reacting to her soothing touch.

"Mom." Something like electricity was buzzing throughout his cock. He felt the boiling in his balls. He could barely keep himself still. Yet he remained motionless, letting his mother care for him. There was no doubt in his mind that she wanted him to give himself to her. Part of him wanted to stop it, to tell her to release him so he could lie with Cadance, or maybe to ask her if Cadance could join in for these last phases leading up to his climax, or maybe even if she could finish him off inside her.

He knew without a doubt what she intended.

She made no sound beyond steady breathing and pleasant sighs and mild hums.

The specter of fear he had felt before when they had made love tenderly earlier that day flew by him. He was unafraid now.

He opened his eyes to take one last look. Cadance was watching them both with rapt fascination, seemingly her frustration forgotten. And there, lying on her stomach, her head bobbing up and down his dick with a perfectly measured pace., was his mother. She still looked perfectly peaceful and serene. He was hard as a rock and she knew it. She doubtlessly felt his penis throbbing, yearning for her and her female embrace.

He wouldn't last long now. She applied suction to the head, and then licked askance on the way down, and finally flattened her lips into soft blush pillows on the way up. She used no hands, no magic, only her mouth.

"Mom." It was his warning to her. Any more and he would release.

Twilight Velvet did not go faster, go slower, or stop. She kept going at that exact pace. She felt his cock throb, tasted his precum, and noticed him become even harder than before. He drew in breath sharply.

"MOM!" Shining's body lost control. Pleasure overwhelmed his cock and he felt it jump. Something hot leapt from his tip one and then again and then again. He lost count of how many times that strange fluid spilled from him. He struggled to hold still and let his mother continue her gentle ministrations. She hummed in affirmation of him, making a pleased sound as his spurts of semen continued to spill into her mouth. "Mom! Mom! Mom!" She continued exactly as before. Her sucks on the head slurped him dry and made him see stars in the dark of his shut eyes. Her descending licks were like pleasurable fire to match his wild spurting. Her upwards slurps beckoned more and more of his essence to pour into her.  
"Mom! Mom! Mom!" She hit all his most sensitive spots over and over again, drawing choruses of groans and sighs of her name. He called to her constantly, repeatedly, telling her how he loved her and needed his with the strained tenderness of his voice. "Mom! Mom! Mom!" He said nothing crude about how hard he was cumming or how he hoped she would drink his ejaculation, instead calling out "Mom! Mom! Mom!"

And she took and pleased him without hesitation, without fail long after the frenzy had stopped and the floods of essence had become a trickling drizzle, after he had stopped his cries of her name, not until he had gone totally soft did she release him. He opened his eyes to see her above him smiling so kindly. "I love you!" he said as she kissed him on the mouth and they flung their arms around each other, pressing together their nude bodies.

"Mwom lobve ylou," Velvet breathed, kissing her son deeply in between mutual broad smiles. She felt his warmth and felt relief with him. She slid back to encounter something unexpected.

"Mom..." Shining sighed tenderly. He was hard again all for her, the emotional fever pitch commanding his body to enjoin with this female so dear to him.

"I need you," she said, rising to position himself at her entrance.

"Please..." His hands ran down her body and gently squeezed her thighs. She lowered her hips and took him inside effortlessly.

He felt how hot she was. He felt the throbbing of the hot blood in her veins surrounding him on her insides, how she must have been aching for his male presence as his throbbing yearned for her female embrace. "Let me take care of you. I'm so sorry for what I did before. Please, allow me to make it up to you."

This wasn't the regulated and planned catharsis of Cadance's supervised sessions, this was all spontaneous, springing forth from a deep well of emotion only just tapped. Shining Armor had no words adequate to say to his mother, instead choosing to sit up and kiss her breast. 

She got the message and rocked her hips. Her insides were soaking wet and blazing hot. After the insane climax with him and Cadance working on her, and then the foreplay as Cadance and then herself blew him, there was no way she could be anything but. Her pussy felt almost aqueous, as if his cock was submerged in something delightful and viscous. It was like gliding on water; he almost didn't notice her walls massaging him as she rode up and down on him. The heat was immense, as if deep in her core burned a great furnace. Shining could never remember a mare feeling this hot before. It was so hot it was almost unbearable, but in a pleasurable rather than painful way, as if his nerves weren't designed to experience pleasure of this magnitude. She rode him and he held onto her, trusting her experienced motions while she squatted and rocked to brush him up against a patch inside of her that made her quiver.

Shining Armor did what came naturally. He found his hands going up to caress his mom's caesarian scar, the proof as to what she was. Her hands dropped to cradle his with warmth. Her touch was gentle as she guided him along the contour, letting him feel the wound in her flesh, all the while rocking her hips steadily back and forth. The rough flesh of the scar stood out plain through the fur. His fingertips trembled. As he touched it, something deep within him became undeniiably aroused. It was like his body knowing that since this mare was fertile for sure, he should do his best to make her breed with him, too.

His fingertips trailed lower and found her clit. Velvet fucked him faster, still rocking back and forth. The rear wall of her hot pussy rubbed against the sensitive underside of his hard dick. She slid back and he would fill her to his hilt and her edge, and the her hips would surge forward and he's be almost drawn completely out, aching to return to her invitingly warm depths, and then she would retreat again as he filled her complete with a gasp from the mare's lips. When he filled her completely he let out a groan. The pressure of her pussy was terrific, and she was soaking wet. She truly wanted and craved him. He almost couldn't believe she'd had children before. But the tells on her body did not lie -- from the more swollen breasts to the widened hips, this woman was a confirmed and enthusiastic breeder with a body built for bedrooms.

It was with a kindly smile that Velvet lay a hand on his chest, soft and warm, to steady herself. He held it and let her ride on back and forth, savoring the warm silky softness of her insides. He saw her smile and beckoned with his lips. She leaned down and kissed him on the mouth. Their tongues met and he took the offensive, determined to let her know just exactly how much he wanted her, how direly he needed her. He quickly seized victory with a strong kiss on her closed lips while he teased with his tongue between them. When she opened her mouth to moan, he pressed deeper and stroked down her tongue with his own, unconsciously keeping time with their hips. He saw her eyes, shut with bliss and just enjoying being with him, having him.

"Mom..." His voice was as soft as the sky.

"Shiny..." Velvet gasped before she kissed him again, tenderly holding his face. Shining bucked his hips into hers, jostling the mare and making her squeal. "I want you." She suddenly pinned him down and kissed him mercilessly. Magic bound his hands and her lips imprisoned his head in their heavenly softness. His mouth was her territory and so she peppered his face and neck with kisses.

"You feel so good."

"You feel so good inside me," she answered.

He tried to buck his hips to get her to fuck him faster, but she just put her finger to his lips. "Let this last, the one last time we can do this. You've always been on top, now let me make love to you for a change, one last time."

He kissed her breasts and hugged her. "I'm yours." He surrendered to her. She leaned back and showed herself to him.

"What do you think of my body?"

He could see everything, from her face to her cunt. He saw the small amounts of fat that had accumulated, he saw how parts of her were starting to sag, he saw how his cock worked in and out of her, he even saw her scars from her breast implants. But beyond all that, she was dear to him, in not bad shape, and had a mostly hourglass figure. "I like it." he gripped her torso to emphasize.

She smiled atop him. "Enjoy me. Touch me. Everywhere." She grabbed his cheeks and then rubbed him from there down to his groin. She touched herself and brushed along his shelf. "I feel where you're inside me."

Shining put his hand on hers. "Me too." His thumb brushed her clit. "May I?"

"I did say everywhere."

She shifted her hips and went from squatting to kneeling. With freer access, the colt lost no time in making her shake. He rubbed her clit with his thumb and she let out happy noises. She sped up her fucking. Twilight Velvet felt so filled and fulfilled, but something was missing. She felt the electricity yet again coming back to her. Little jolts rocked her and gradually built up a buzzing of pressure located somewhere betwixt her hips and her deepest core.

They made love to one another, Velvet returning Shining's affection from earlier. Cadance watched carefully, not wanting to interfere. She remembered earlier and how the two had banged while she watched so nearby. Her hand snaked down and brushed to the wet place between her legs. She remembered the delicate feminine kisses from Velvet's lips, and now they were pouting open, begging for another mouth and tongue to take them. She saw Shining lying between those thighs, one part of him still unoccupied. Just one orgasm for the whole day thus far spent -- she needed more lovin, damnit! But she dare not interfere with what they needed for themselves and for the family. So she rubbed about her clit and let the pleasure built, vicariously exulting in the love they made.

A moan left her lips and she found Shining looking up at her. Velvet got the signal and looked at her, still fucking her son with a unique relish. There was nothing the princess could say, hand between her legs as she stared at the couple in mid coitus. Their bodies slapped together. Velvet's breasts shook and rocked as she landed on her son's cock, and the young colt below guided her softly with his tender touch on her abdomen. She rode up and down on him, almost letting him slide out only to then slam down and take him all inside again. Their pace was quick, their actions deliberate. She smelled the secretions of the mare, the heady musk of the stallion. Something deep inside was rioting to be closer.

"Cadance," Shining called to her, unashamed at her seeing him expressing his love.

Her mouth hung open, clueless as to what to answer. Then Twilight gestured at her, stroking two fingers towards herself. She stopped and let the princess approach with trepidation.  
Shining looked up at her, his hands now on her breasts and toying concertedly, to Velvet's undisguised smile.  
"Join us," Twilight called, extending a hand out to her. She nearly faltered, but the silver unicorn nodded her head before she could say anything. Cadance's hand clasped Twilight's and she was pulled astride Shining's face, her thighs on either side. and then she was yanked headlong into a deep kiss with Twilight. "Don't think, just enjoy."

"O-Okay," Cadance said, lowering herself over the man. She felt the warm breath on her thighs and crotch. She soon felt pleasure begin as lips and tongue found her sensitive parts. She looked into Velvet's eyes, and the bouncing mare embraced her.

"Fuck him!" Cadance shuffled her hips, grinding them onto the face before. A tongue brushed her slit and got to her clit. She squeezed her thighs together and ground harder, being rewarded with more pleasure as she sat on the eager face. "Touch me." She leaned forwards and grabbed Velvet's breasts with both hands. She again squeezed down on them. Shining gave a noise. She considered getting off, but that thought died when he followed her and lovingly smooched her slit, fucking into it with his tongue. Velvet pushed her deeper onto him. Her and Shining's hands were on the mare's chest. She massaged with her palms while Shining worked his fingers onto the nipples. Velvet sighed and rocked in little circles.

Shining felt his mother get even wetter with Cadance's involvement -- he couldn't see her through the goddess seated over him, but the sudden wave of heat and moisture told him everything. He suckled at the orifice and its effluent secretions. He didn't like the taste or texture much, but damn him if he wouldn't at least try and be a good lover.

He felt wonder with Cadance's hands over his as he massaged Velvet's chest. It was oddly intimate to be pleasuring the same mare together. He was sandwich between the softness of Twilight and the alicorn with nothing to do but just go along for the ride.

Very rapidly Shining found he was utterly at the mercy of the two mares above him. Velvet was fucking him with her heavenly, slick, silky cunt, and Cadance was giving him all the pussy he could eat. He could just barely work his hips in concert with Velvet, but she wasn't letting him go, and Cadance was demanding her pleasure. He gave it as good as he got, feeling his mind slip away under the sexual siege.

He heard Cadance's moans growing as he worked on her, her slit growing ever wetter. He felt the thrum of her thighs clenching and quivering. He felt Twilight's cunt squeezing and embracing his cock, sending ripples of pleasure up his spine.

Velvet leaned forwards and took a teat into her mouth. She rolled the nipple in her mouth and licked at it. Cadance pulled her head to her chest and hissed. Long fingers ran through her mane. She felt her son fucking her from below. He was filling her just right. He caressed her torso, touching her with great care, appreciating her shape and curves. Her pussy slid effortlessly up and down his shaft, her ride going from back and forth to up and down.

Cadance soaked in the delightful feelings coming from beneath her. She was already beginning to quake a bit. She needed another orgasm -- Velvet's work on her as she blew Shining had alas done little save awaken her craving for pleasure, long since denied and minimized, here it was free to bloom. And so she embraced the frenzy. Her magic ignited and she grabbed a feminine hand to her clit. Its owner understood and rubbed at the sensitive nub. She gave thanks with a kiss to the owner's head, her mouth preoccupied already on the alicorn's breasts. She dispatched her free hand to the mare's slit. She felt the hard cock surging in and out of it, subtly pushing on the soft flesh from within. She took her fingers and stroked at Velvet's nub to please her in kind.

Twilight Velvet broke off her suckling and hugged Cadance tightly, clamping down on her shoulder to plant a strong kiss on her collarbone, one she'd feel for days to come, but wouldn't be visible in the princess's day clothes -- she'd have to go everywhere with a slutty little secret tucked just barely out of sight. She felt satisfaction as the alicorn panted aloud in her ear, the sharp staccato of her breaths telling the older woman everything she needed. "V-Velvet!" Cadance called out, half in surprise, half in arousal.

Cadance tried to work free to retaliate, but she couldn't bear to leave her seat, her wonderful seat that was lapping away so finely at her pussy and making her head spin.

Velvet freed a hand from Cadance's crotch, and the princess shifted her seat to proffer it to Shining, who ate away at it greedily. She squealed as his lips puckered around it and he suckled, sending a jolt of pleasure up her spine that threatened to make her fall flat on her face. She leaned forward into Twilight, now pressing their chests together, unapologetically touching her all over, eating up the matured supple body with her hands and fingertips.

Velvet practically melted under the twofold pampering from her son and his incipient lover. It felt just too good. Cadance could kiss like a champ, and Shining's hard cock made her feel so delightfully filled. She could not tell whether by hands or magic she was being touched down low, but it felt simply great. Now she was really into it, she demanded speed and pressure, and they were only too happy to let her have it. She greedily lapped at Cadance's breasts before popping off them with happy sighs. She felt the warm alicorn body, soft and supple, squeezing against her own. She grabbed Cadance's hips to help feed Shining. As if to pay her back, he clasped her thighs and encouraged her to ride him even harder.

She fucked him with abandon, as she and Cadance exchanged touch and pleasure in equal measure, as Cadance rode his face.

They weren't going to stop. They weren't able to stop.

Velvet braced herself on Shining's shoulders as she fucked him faster, partially leaning on Cadance for support. With her face in the much taller mare's cleavage, she seized the opportunity to feast upon the modest orbs, much to the audible delight of their owner. And he grabbed her ass hard, directing her to ride him like she really meant it, like she fully intended to fuck his brains out.

The three of them fucked like animals, completely forgetting all other concerns. Hands ran wild all over the place to squeeze and caress and guide. Pleasure was given and exchanged freely in equal measure. Sweat ran down their bodies in the exertion of their runaway passion. The mares groped between each other wantonly, sucking on breasts, grabbing soft flesh, and teasing each other between the legs. Sensitive parts tingled and hummed with electricity in the maddened lust.

Faster and faster the two women rode Shining Armor. Faster and faster he tried to please them. His mother was now riding him at full speed up and down, fucking him as hard as he'd fucked her earlier. Currents of joy were running up and down his cock. He could feel his pulse speeding up. He was struggling to breathe more in pants and gasps as Cadance demanded ever more from his face. He gave her everything he had to spare, mercilessly licking and sucking on her labia, fucking her cunt with his tongue, and never letting the clit have more than a moment's rest. He felt Cadance pressing against his mother's groin, amplifying the fantastic pressure on his dick even through the flesh. Velvet was getting even hotter and even more soaked. He bucked for her, playing himself up to the hilt for her needy pussy. He heard Cadance's cries of pleasure growing more and more shrill. She trembled atop him. He cast magic to press her thighs against his head to keep her anchored to him. She was frotting her vulva fully along him now, coating his face in her juices.

Heat radiated from her pussy, just as he could feel the throbbing in Twilight's. His mother was growing hoarse, calling their names aloud. "Shiny! Cady!" Her legs were getting little convulsions. Her tunnel was almost unbearably hot. She needed him and he couldn't resist much longer, not with how his balls were tightening and his length was growing sensitive.

The pleasure was about to peak. He didn't even consider trying to say anything or warn them -- they wouldn't have cared or even noticed. Cadance locked herself around his head and shoved her clit practically right on his mouth. Velvet rocked as she fucked him, and he felt that rough patch with his head. They fucked loudly, their cries no longer suppressed or even modest. Velvet's cunt was almost writhing. So close. He was so close. He was going to do it. They were going to do it. They could not resist it. The carnal frenzy was too much!

Electricity buzzed frenetically in his dick. He grunted as he was ridden, Twilight's succulent cunt squeezing him like heaven. He felt like his cock was going to explode. He sucked on Cadance and clenched his mom's thighs for dear life, knowing what was about to happen.

Shining practically roared through Cadance's vulva as his pleasure peaked and orgasm hit him full force. It was relentless. He desperately tried to pull Velvet down to stay hilted on him, but she didn't let him, taunting him by bouncing as fast as she could, even as she shook herself. Blinding flashes of pleasure and light erupted from his cock. He felt himself shoot. He dug his nails into her. He lost control of his body, bucking up into her completely maddened in ecstasy, fucking her desperately at the end. Cum flew from his tip, firing out in thick ropes. His arousal was heightened as he heard Cadance scream one last time and writhe out of control, a rush of fluids coating his face as she careened over the edge. Velvet fucked him like mad, her pussy now clamping down on him as the muscles contracted, making the already tight hole impossibly snug. The heat almost seared at him, too much for him to bear. She snuck her legs under his, trapping him inside to empty himself balls deep into her, unable to escape the onslaught of unbearable pleasure. He screamed her name, muffled and in his head.

He felt the bodies above him shift as the mares clashed with each other, groping and kissing utterly blinded now. He heard the smacks of lips and the rustling of fur on fur. They moaned into the air and each other as they came along with him, all bound together in absolute carnal bliss.

Desire, love, and taboo intoxicated him drunken with feelings. Shining's entire body trembled and convulsed. He felt Velvet's cunt fill with his cum, and then he felt it splash off her walls and wash over his dick as it just leapt and spewed more and more, a peak of pleasure with each blast. He felt fluids running down his shaft and onto his balls in rivules. His cock hurt from the volume and force of his emission. His mom's cunt squeezed and milked him, its instinct driving it to milk him for everything her mate had. He got his throat clear and cried out a wordless howl of ecstasy. He was insane and rapturous with sheer pleasure he didn't even know could exist, permeating him -- wracked his mind and overran his body.

Shining's mind blanked. The pleasure lessened, but he just lay there, letting it go down as the mares above him pecked at each other still greedily, still moaning, still shaking from deep within. Cadance fell off first, tumbling over while still beaming without a care in the world. She touched herself to get what remaining pleasure she could, and he kissed her breasts and mouth. "He-heeyyyya," she huffed, barely conscious. They kissed again.

His mom collapsed against his chest seconds later, letting out a deep sigh. Even still his cock weakly twitched with her, desperate to make him give whatever he could spill. They kissed passionately, throwing arms around each other, tongues immediately clashing. Tired but still feeling that desperate high, they consumed each other's scent and taste. Cadance let them have at it.

Twilight finally rocked from his dick, and the thoroughly filled pussy immediately leaked prodigiously. "You filled me good."

"That's just what didn't already escape." He weakly grasped her ass.

Cadance kissed Twilight on the cheek. "Thanks for letting me join this time." She was still blushing deep cherry red.

"Consider that my and his very special thanks for saving our family."  
Cadance could just heave and chuckle, "Do-don't mention it, just hel-helping some people close to my heart." She took a deep breath. "Yeah, I know, not a word to anybody... Like it never even happened... Too bad we can't do this again..."

The other two hugged her. "Us, too."

Then the princess looked at the stallion. "Uh, Shining, can I ask you a favor?"

"What is it? Just don't ask me to stand up or go anywhere."

Cadance laughed, resting her face on his chest and looking up at him. "Could you fuck me?"

He lifted an eyebrow. "Are you serious? After all that sex?"

"All I got was foreplay -- great foreplay, but still lacking on the nookie. First I watched you and Velvet go at it, then there was the bit in the shower, then I got licking, another licking, and then another licking. At what point did I get to have you inside me?" She glared at him.

Velvet laughed, "Finally doing something for yourself, Cady?"

"Well, what if I am? Why can't miss princess want something for herself? Maybe I want to be just a little bit selfish?"

"No reason. She absolutely can." As if to illustrate, she clapped loudly onto Shiny. "He's all yours -- Shiny, honey, you will give the nice princess what she wants, won't you?"

He sighed, "I loved to," Shining Armor said with a stretched and a yawn for punctuation, "but after everything you've done with me today, I'll be shooting dust for a month. It's a miracle I could even get it up this last time. Sorry."

Cadance said, "That's not a problem. Remember?" He turned back to look at her. He saw her horn light up and then felt something like hot ropes wrapping around his cock and then suffusing little barbs into it. He winced, opening his mouth to swear at her, but when he looked down, he saw himself standing at attention. Cadance stroked his arm, leading his hands towards her chest. "I told you there was a spell for that, remember?"

"Oh yeah." He smiled sheepishly, grasping at her breast.

Cadance opened her legs to expose her still sopping and ready pussy. "C'mon, fuck me one last time?"

The colt could only do as instinct prompted him when faced with an attractive mate offering herself freely: he crawled atop her and planted a deep kiss on her open mouth. She kissed him back with her remaining energy. He didn't even need to check between her legs, as his resurrected dick could feel how hot and wet she was inside. He took the plunge. Cadance immediately dug her fingers into his shoulders.

He fucked her fabulous pussy for several dozen thrusts, not forgetting to lay attention on her chest. "Feeling good? Staying hard?"

"Still hard, just not feeling anything." He smiled ruefully. "Sorry, I really want to, but my body just isn't cooperating."

Cadance replied, "Sorry. Let's try something new, maybe that'll give you the friction you need." She pushed him back with magi and twisted onto her side with her legs closed, him still inside he, him kneeling inside the crook of her knees. "Try now." Shining did, moving forwards once more into the beautiful mare. He exhaled sharply, the corners of his mouth turning up. "I thought this may work -- loads more friction."

"YY-yeah," Shining shivered.

Cadance shushed him. She kissed him on the mouth. "Shut up and fuck me. I want to feel you inside me, and I want to feel you cum."

He kissed her back savagely, suddenly lunging into her. Cadance squeaked as she felt her insides suddenly become so indescribably full in a way that made her feel irrepressibly happy and more than a little excited. Here she was being fucked for real at last. At last that damnable throbbing from the foreplay was ceasing, assuaged by finally feeling something solid and hard within her body at long last.

"Fuck her good, Shiny," Twilight Velvet cheered, reclining next to them and watching with a hand casually brushing her own slit.

Shining said nothing back, instead taking her over and over again. She felt like a mare down between his strong arms, subject to his lust and thrusts. His motions were jerky, great was his fatigue, but he was still making an effort just to please her. Velvet was giving her a look. Before she could say anything, a pair of lips attached to her breasts. A moan of pleasure escaped from her mouth, taken on both fronts yet again.

Cadance pulled Velvet's head into her bosom, yielding her body to her once more, letting the older mare partake in the debauchery once final time. Twilight Velvet hummed happily as she nursed at the alicorn's chest. Cadance felt a murmur of pleasure stirring within her. This was not going to be a long round. She touched herself down low with her free hand. Her poor tender clit almost revolted, but it could not ignore what was being done to her. She curled her knees up higher, inviting her mate deeper into her body, letting him fuck her -- no, inviting him to enjoy her and giving herself license to enjoy for once without restraint, without shame, without concern for fulfilling someone else's need or an obligation. She was fucking him now because she wanted to and for no other reason.

She felt his cock hardening and he pounded ever fasted between her lets. Her head was beginning to swim. She felt something like coiled pressure in her stomach and a lightheaded feeling with the next assaults on her tits by Velvet.

Twilight saw Shining fucking Cadance with abandon, and she let him have her. She understood now the rapture with which Cadance had let them play together earlier. It felt wrong somehow to intrude.

The pleasure grew inside the alicorn's body. It was threatening to overwhelm her yet again. Her cunt squeezed and compressed at the hardness ramming into her. She was panting now, and feeling utterly spellbound in the arms and eyes of the unicorn male. His masculine presence over and in her made her just feel so, for lack of better word, complete. She relaxed, yielding utterly to him. She touched his face, gently calling out his name. "Shiny..."

"Cadance... You feel amazing."

"You feel so good inside me. Are you getting close?"

"Yeah. Should I try to hold it?"

She shook her head with the rock of her hips, grasping his chin to bore into his eyes. "No! Keep going, don't stop until you've flooded me. I need you, I need this."

"Okay."

He fucked her more. His defined muscles were starting to bulge. She could feel his tension growing with every single thrust into her pussy. She felt so delightfully feminine and undeniably alive seeing him losing control of himself inside her. And she was going to do the same for him soon, too. His balls slapped loudly on he ass and he practically pummeled her recklessly, determined to make her his own. She felt him glide and yearned for him to hilt in her. Balls deep. She felt him tremble, she did, too. She touched his chest. She pulled him down to kiss him on his defined pectorals, on his bony collar, and on his stout neck, and on his strong law, and on his thirsty, chapped mouth. Instead of moans she got grunts.

The thrill in her core was almost out of control, realizing what was about to happen. She shoved his hand down to her clit, and he got the message. Sparks flew within her body, embers roaring into flame. His touch down there drove her wild. She was shaking from toes to nose.

He gazed down at her. "Cadance, I-"

"Cum inside me! Fill me! I-"

He seized her lips. She tried to speak, but the pleasure broke. She closed her eyes and moaned into his mouth as his tongue invaded hers. Her lower body clenched and writhed. She felt nails suddenly dig into her as he pulled almost all the way out.

Shining Armor surged into her that final time with a guttural groan, and the alicorn felt immense satisfaction as he took her all the way, down to his balls. Her pleasure went haywire, but she felt his cock twitching and some warmth and pleasure seep into her insides. He was cumming in her, for her, just for her -- the stallion she'd wanted for years was giving himself to her!

Her body rocked and shook. She broke free of the kiss to croon, "SHINY! YES YES YES! CUM FOR ME! CUM INSIDE ME! MAKE ME YOURS! GIVE ME IT ALL! SO PLEASANT! SO HOT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE YOU!"

"Cadance! Amazing!" Electricity buzzed crazily in her brain, her body overtaken in pleasure. She lost control of herself, and only yearned for this explosion of pleasure to last for ever, for him to never go soft, and for his semen to spill within her forever. She tucked back her legs, trapped him inside. She squirmed to stimulate him, and he cried out, yelling her name once more before clamping back down onto her lips. Her pussy was on fire and she couldn't get enough!

Shining Armor shakily tried to thrust into her more and more, but she felt him softening. As her senses returned, she felt him slip out, a dribble of cum dripping onto her backside as he thudded down beside her into the mattress. They kissed.

"Cadance..."

She hugged him with legs and arms. "Shiny. Oh, I've wanted this for so long!" She kissed him again and again in relief and satisfaction and gratitude. Her fluttering heart now crashing as she kissed him back. She felt herself getting weak with warmth and comfort. She couldn't stop smiling. "Worth it..."

"Enjoyed yourself, Princess?"

"Oh so very muuuuuch! I just wish I could have more sex like this."

Velvet chuckled, "Well if you ever need a good time, Velour would be more than happy to help."

Cadance said, "I'll think about it. I've had fun with you, but mares aren't quite my favorite. Thanks for the offer." Blackness overtook the princess. Velvet magicked a blanket onto her, watching her chest rise and fall deep and slow.

Shining Armor turned to his mom and held her close. They didn't say anything for a long time. They just cuddled closely and enjoyed the warmth and comfort. Shining was nestled with his head on her generous bosoms, and she let her chin lay on his slightly shaggy mane.

"How was all that, Mom?"

"I'll let you know next week when my brain gets back from space," giggled Twilight, throwing her leg over his and kissing down upon his lips. Shining accepted the kiss lazily, closing his eyes happily while running his hands through her sweaty stringy mane. "And not badly done at Cadance; it's not every day a lady gets cocked out like that."

Minutes of sleepy silence followed. The smell of sex hung heavy in the air. "Was that the crazy hard fucking you needed?"

"MM-hhmm, soooooo baaadllllyy."

"Good. I love you, Mom. Now and forever."

"I love you, too, Shiny. Forever and ever."

He reached around under her butt to hold her close to his chest, hefting her with a surprisingly youthful squeal from the mare. She practically curled up on his torso, never breaking eye contact as they stared at each other, finally truly vulnerable and comfortable. They kissed slowly, occasionally. His hand absentmindedly brushed her mane from her face while the other gently groped her breast, kneading softly into the tissue. She caressed his chest and cradled his chin.

"Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"This is the last time we have sex, isn't it?"

Her smile faded. "I guess it is... It's a pity. I like having sex with you."

"Same here. Feels kinda sad, like the end of an era."

"It's not like it's the last time we ever have sex, just with each other."

"I know. Just doesn't feel quite like a victory. So I'm back to being your son, you're back to being my mom, and dad's getting you back. I can't say I feel... richer for all the experience, more like put through the wringer to find myself sorta alone and going off into a whole new world.

Velvet kissed him on the lips again. "Shiny, don't worry about it. If anything, you've come out a lot stronger and more determined. So you'll have to have to find some new filly to bang; everyone has to do that at some point or other."

He smiled. "I guess you're right, Mom, I should be thinking more about the world of opportunities I've just stumbled upon."

"That's the spirit," Velvet affirmed. He held her hand. They went quiet again, basking with each other.

"So, is this the end?"

"Of us? I think so, unless you break both your arms or something. Maybe not quite the end of everything, though; I have to talk to Night and pray he forgives me. You want to see Velour again?"

"No thanks. You and I already had our last time, and if I'm honest, I think she knew hers and my last time was going to be back there in Manehattan. I'd love to see her again, but that wouldn't be much of a way forward, wouldn't it -- just more of the same. never meeting new people or having new experiences. Besides, if I want Cadance for real when I've proven myself, I can't be in bed with you or your gestalt. I don't even know what I'd say to her -- so long and thanks for popping my cherry?"

They laughed together.

"Something like that."

"Besides... there's a girl who said she'd love to see me again?"

Velvet smiled. "Oh, who?"

"Sugar Swirl -- met her in Manehattan. I think I'll call her after this and let her know I'm all good to meet her now."

"Please do. You know I love you and if you waste all your youth bitching about not having me to fuck anymore, and pining after Cadance, I'm gonna have to kick your ass and make you go see what's out there. Go out, have fun, be young and free while you still can. Chase your dreams, but don't do what I did and live hoping to recapture one already long gone. Don't become a hateful man like I became a hateful woman. Be better than me."

"I will, Mom." He paused. They kissed gently. "I love you."

"I love you."

"Thank you."

"No problem."

They fell asleep as they held each other, Shining in the middle between them. They were spent but happy to join oblivion in each other's arms this one last chance they had.

________________________________________

Twilight Velvet sat alone in the house. She trembled her fingers on the health report. Her neck was sore from where Shining had marked her, hidden by a popped up collar. She had two cups of mint tea on the table, both kept piping hot by her magic. Any second now, she was going to be killed. Any second now, she was going to be saved. Any second now, fate was going to pass its decree over her. She missed him. She dreaded him. She needed him. Sunlight poured into the domicile, it showing in shafts of tender golden yellow in the long hours of the late summertime evening. The first leaves were beginning to change outside. She had felt it earlier today while walking, the first harbinger of fall's cold and winter's dark. It was like realizing one was in the final phases of dream and was about to wake up. She sipped at her tea, hiding from the change outside in the confines of her cup.

Motion. The latch turned. The door opened. Before her stood Night Light. Her heart leapt into her throat. He strode in in his suit with his case.

"Honey, I'm home!"

"Welcome back, Nini!" Velvet greeted.

He dropped his case on the kitchen counter and strode up to her. She didn't even have a chance to do anything before he bent down to kiss her hard on the lips. "How are you?"

"Fine, thanks." She was smiling too wide.

"Velvet, are you okay?"

"Of course. I'm happy to see you again." She wanted to run and hide, flee into Velour, but she stood her ground this time. She was in control of herself, and she was going to take what came, even if it filled her with dread. "I have my results, Night."

Night Light's kindly eyes went steely. He sat down in his chair, ignoring his mint tea. "Let's take a look at them." He couldn't help but smile, seeing her showing she actually wanted the marriage to work.

Velvet handed them over. "Nothing bad, I promise."

"Hmm," began Night Light, peering down his nose at the items. "You're not pregnant, good. And you're not sick, apart from the cold sore you've had since before we met. Good." His shoulders sagged, the front coming off. "Holy shit, Twi, I've been worried sick about this the whole time! I'm glad you're well and not pregnant."

"Me too. You'd divorce me if that were the case?" She pled with her eyes.

Night didn't meet her gaze at first. "Yeah, I would have, I really would not have known what to do besides that. Having to go to the doctor to treat the result of your betrayal would have been too much to bear." A chill bounced in her stomach as she realized how truly serious his promise a month ago had been when he said he'd leave her if anything came up wrong.

"I'm sorry."

"I forgive you. I'm hurt still, but I forgive you." He pushed his tea aside to hold her hand. He looked into her eyes. "Is that thing done?"

"It is." Velvet magicked open her buttons and showed her husband her sin in the angry purple and red mark left by lustful jaws on her neck and shoulder. "It's done, I'm never going to bed with them ever again."

"Good."

She squeezed her shoulders together, her voice now much smaller. "Do you want to know who it is? I'll tell you if you want to know."

"No. That's not important, nor would it help me -- giving me a name would be the worst possible ideas. Please don't ruin whoever it may be in my eyes, please let me vanish them nameless to the back of my mind to not haunt me for year to come. I don't want to put an identity to who it was."

Velvet sagged. "Okay. Never ask me again, and I'll never offer to tell. Deal?"

"Deal," Night said through tight lips. His shoulders stood still clenched and hunched.

"There's still a lot on your mind, isn't there, Honey?"

"Yeah, there is."

Twilight asked, "Do you feel foolish for staying true this whole time?"

"No." She saw his hand clench.

"It's okay if you do; I won't blame you."

He groaned, "Fine, I'm feeling like a goddamn chump for sticking it out for months at a time where I could have played freely while whatever it was happened back here. It's not that I haven't had desires or chances, Twi, I have, but I've said no to them. I’ve been tempted and able like you."

"Would you like to be able to play again?"

"I don't know. You're the only mare I really want, but there have been chances I'm mad I passed up all for nothing. There's also a certain mare I want to talk to."

"Do you mean...?" Twilight's breath halted and faded. "If you want to play around with someone who is but isn't me, I could always get you Velour."

Her husband nodded. "All these years and we've never met. I've been stewing on this for the past month, Twilight, and I want to play around again. Some with you, some without. Not a lot, just a little like we used to back before we had to be responsible. Something like finding a third every month, the odd long weekend spent in bed... and Velour... I don't know how much I want to do; maybe seeing her once or twice will get it all out of my system, maybe it won't, but I just don't want to feel like I'm giving up on you. I love you, but I want to sort out just how I'm feeling about this."

"Of course you can see her," his wife agreed.

He leaned forward and kissed her jawline. Twilight smiled. "I've also been thinking, Velvet, things have got to change around here."

"Are you going to get a new job."

He groaned, "Yeah, I'll have to. We can't spend our lives apart, no matter how good the money, it's destroying us. I've run the numbers, and I think we can just afford it to stay here with me working locally, if you help."

"What do I need to do? Is this your way of asking me to quit?"

"Why would I ask you to quit to make up revenue?"

Velvet shrugged. "I don't know?"

He laughed with her, finally taking a sip of his tea. "I need you to raise Velour's escorting rates. Fifty to one hundred percent. Or at least add a shitton of extras to drive it up like a budget airline."

Velvet relaxed. "That can be done -- going to need a bit of reworking of my ads and figure out how to get existing clients on that schedule, but it's easily doable. Is that all?"

"I want to be more involved with Velour. I just want to know her schedule and income -- keep me informed, not in the dark, okay?" Velvet nodded. "Finally, we're going to need to sit down with Shining and ask him to contribute what he can from the Guard to help us out. You think he'll do that?"

"Of course he would."

Night smiled. "Of course he would; he's a good man. When's he joining, anyway?"

"I sent him to the recruiter with everything he needs today."

"Great. I feel kinda dickish asking him to help with money, though."

Velvet got up and crept around to the blue unicorn. She put her hand on his shoulder soothingly. "He'll understand." Speaking of understanding, would it be alright with you if Cadance were to help us, the two of us?"

Night smiled broadly. He kissed Velvet enthusiastically. "I was thinking the same thing. I'd like to think the worst is behind us, don't you agree?""

"I do."

He hugged her and tucked his head to her breasts. "I've missed you, Twilight Velvet, I really do love you so much."

She wrapped her arms around him and rocked gently as she held his body. "I've missed you too, Night Light, and I'm sorry for all the fucking shit I've put you through."

"Just don't do it again and it'll be cool." He brought his hand lower down her back. It slid down to her butt. He enjoyed the feminine smell and softness of his wife. He held her close, squeezing her into him with a strong embrace he did not want to end. She tousled his hair and rubbed his ears gently, whispering sweet nothings down at him as he nuzzled into her body. She felt tons of tension releasing from his like a pistol hammer spring decocking slowly. He looked up to see her kindly gazing down upon him. They smiled at each other. She held his chin in her hand. "Velvet?"

"Yes?"

"Would you go with me?"

"To bed?"

"Out, just out. I want to get to know my wife again, the woman she is now. Go for a walk, get dinner, makeout like teenagers all over again in the park, furtively get drunk in an alley... Let's try to romance each other again, not take this great thing we have for granted."

To his surprise, he felt her relax. "Yes, my love, I'd love that very much."

"And after that, let’s find a quiet open space and fuck under the sky like we did our first time."

"Of course."

"And, Velvet, you think we will get it right this time?"

She was quiet for several long seconds. Night's goofy smile was fading, then she answered, "I know we will. Now, come, let's fall in love all over again." The mare took him by the hand and led him to the door. He shoved her against it to kiss her on the cheek with his hands clamped to her hips.

And as he hugged her middle, Twilight Velvet wished for no other stallion than him. She knew it was going to be a struggle, but everything was going to be just fine in the end. All she needed to do was remember to be good to the ponies who loved her most and reward their good faith. She wasn't going to invite disaster again. She had finally remembered what truly mattered and resolved to never forget it, not for fancy, not for fantasy, not for vain pretenses of selflessness. For the first time in years, Twilight Radiance Velvet felt like herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end
> 
> Thank you so much for reading. Elsie Glass, thank you for all the wonderful feedback and comments. Readers like you are to die for.
> 
> This story took over 2 years to write, and it's 3 years to the day since I uploaded that first chapter to fimfiction.net -- it has been a learning experience, a real challenge and a joy. The simple backstory is there was this conventional wisdom that it was impossible to write a serious multiparter clopfic with a sex scene in every chapter. I more or less responded with "Hold my beer."
> 
> I want to thank all you, my readers, my editors, and my commentors, both here and on fimfic. I will be uploading more stuff here, mostly other clopfics, though I will put up some non sexy stories, too.
> 
> And as always, feedback is loved and appreciated.
> 
> Thanks again for reading.
> 
> K93


End file.
